Sunday, December 25, 2011

Tis' The Season To Be Sludgy...

Being as we're on hiatus until the new year, due to technical nightmares, legal shit and other blogs stealing our work we felt a little guilty that we've not been able to give you anything over the last month and a bit. Therefore we decided to knock a little something up for you guys... So stand back in amazement as we give you...



Riding With The Devil Vol. 1


Yup, we've been busing away to make a lovely 3 CD collection of all the best bits from the last 12 months. Including new and exclusive tracks that you won't find anywhere else, original covers and cd artwork... Damn we're good to you!





Merry Christmas y'all! See ya in the new year!

~ Jay



Wednesday, November 23, 2011

News...

Sorry for the short hiatus everyone!
Between having no internet courtesy of BT, we've been battling with certain bands which have decided to have our uploads on mediafire removed and thusly suspending our account. For the record, ALL uploads put up by us have had permission granted by the bands them selves. All others have been found openly on the net and have nothing to do with this site.

Right. That being said, I am going to endeavour to get the blog updated regularly from now on... If anyone out there would like to join the team and help us with some reviews, any and all help would be greatly appreciated.

~ Jay

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Temple(s) Of Doom...

Temples - Temples (2009)




For Fans Of; Electric Wizard, Mountain Witch, Elder, Sleep, Tombs









Friday, November 11, 2011

All Guns Blazing...

Tank Destroyer - Head Of The Demon (2009)

 




For Fans Of; Iron Monkey, Pig Destroyer, Soilent Green, Weedeater, Church Of Misery








Wednesday, November 09, 2011

Poles Apart...

Major Kong - Orogenesis (2011)


Oh it's been a while since we took a trip to Poland, but thankfully the guys from Major Kong dropped me a line and reminded me of their belting 4 track EP from back in April. I say 'reminded' because I've been sitting on this little beauty for about 6 months according to my iTunes. Once again a mysterious little album thats found it way into my possession and not actually been given the air time it rightfully deserves. Shame on me. Still, better late than never so here we go...
I will admit my over sight of this EP has left me pretty reeling. It was a rookie mistake on my part not getting this up earlier as it really is one of the best produced and executed instrumental stoner/doom albums my ears have ever been blessed with.
Starting life as a mere side project to their original band Fifty Foot Woman, the guys set out to produce their own take on the genre, and goddamn they've done just that! Whaling groove seeping riffs to an upbeat tempo just keep the whole EP on the stoner side of that fine line between stoner/doom, yet occasionally tipping a toe over to test the waters. No lyrics to speak of but a subtle and great use of samples give a nice touch to round off the consistency of the recording.
The best analogy my currently intoxicated brain can conjure is; if you were to imagine the genres as a whole with stoner in the middle, doom, sludge etc on one side and psychedelic, space etc on the other. Well Major Kong have one foot firmly in doom the other foot in psych and their balls securely planted in stoner. It's a strange image sure, but you know what? It bloody works.

Check out the guys bandcamp page have a listen to the tracks and pay what you like for the download, or if you're tight, nothing at all. But c'mon, show some love and hurl a few bucks their way. They're currently working on new material for a full length album so I'm sure the cash will come in helpful.

~ Jay

For Fans Of; Karma To Burn, Kamni, Wo Fat, Electric Wizard, Acid King








Tuesday, November 08, 2011

News...

Apologies for the delays of some of the posts. Between being a bit on the ill side and massively over worked it also appears that I have a prehistoric and frustratingly temperamental internet connection.
I will endeavour to get new posts up (relatively) on time every other day...

Sorry!

~ Jay

Monday, November 07, 2011

Dealers Of Doom...

Witch Hunter Records - The Coven & Neophytes Vol 1 (2011)



Thankfully the guys from Iron Witch brought this little collection to my attention.
UK based Witch Hunter Records have decided to gift us all with this 18 track selection of their prime cuts of stoner, doom, sludge, hardcore, punk and post rock. It's a pretty eclectic collection of tracks to be honest. From the stoner riff heavy rock of Bumsnogger and Mage to the post rock sound scapes of Wiht, with a healthy dose of crusty, sludgy doom courtesy of Iron Witch, Little Sister and Let It Die (to name just a few) thrown into the mix to boot. There's something here for everybody. Give it a listen and have a peruse through Witch Hunters current roster and check out some more of the cracking bands they're currently backing. 


~ Jay

For Fans Of; Eagle Twin, Outlaw Order, Iron Monkey, Agoraphobic Nosebleed, Charles Manson


Website • Myspace • Facebook • Bandcamp








Saturday, November 05, 2011

Doom Is Where The Heart Is...

The Wisdoom - Self Titled (2011)


It seems as though Italy are fast becoming a pretty major player in the old doom/psychedelic/space rock scene, with bands like Blackland, Otehi, Le Scimmie and Ivy Garden Of The Desert all producing some of the best examples of the genre in the last year or so. Well, now we can add the aptly named The Wisdoom to that list too. There really couldn't be a better name for this band, it sums them up to a tee. Combining the pounding of skins similar to that of Black Pyramid, the biblically slow and crushing riffs of Sleep and that distant haunting vocal tone so akin to that of Electric Wizard. With all those key elements in place it's like a big perfectly executed homage to all the trailblazers of the genre.
In typical doom style there are just a trio of tracks but as they are all between about 10 and 17 minutes long  the play time is still close to the 40 min mark. For some thats quite a lot of down tuned doom to be split just three ways and sure, if its all done a bit half arsed then it will end up falling a bit flat. Fortunately the guys have well and truly dodged that bullet. With a combination of ambient space rock style bridges joined by some of the best guitar hooks I've heard this year everything merges together with tight groove that constantly flows through each track keeping it fresh from verse to verse. That may sound like a pretty basic and fundamental element, but its surprising just how many up and coming bands of a similar ilk that just fall short of hitting this important nail on the head.



For Fans Of; Electric Wizard, Dozer, Mountain Witch, Elder, Blackland








Thursday, November 03, 2011

Goin' Back In Time...

The Fellwoods (aka The Moss) - Wulfram (2011)


Damn I love it when I find a new band that sound like they were forged in the early 70's in a cramped smokey basement following an inspiring Zeppelin gig. I swear I was born about 30 years too late.
Sadly I have neither a tweaked DeLoren or some Jean Claude Van Dam Timecop like device, but thanks to The Moss I can feel like I'm reliving an (arguably) better time for music.
Sure, from first glance at the artwork you may think that you should be expecting some doom type affair. No so. Far from it in fact. Expect blues influenced retro rock with break downs worthy of being confused with those in classics like Physical Graffiti or Deep Purple In Rock. Yeah theres a few bands knocking around with clear classic rock influences but none of them really have that true early 70's feel like The Moss do. From the whaling distorted riffs down to the vocals, it the whole album is bathed in that awesome old school tone, even in the few sections that slow down and take on a darker more slightly prog like feel.
I love this album, its such a fantastic breathe of fresh air plus if like me you were brought up listening to you old mans record collection and bow down to the trailblazers from the 60's and 70's then you will seriously love this album too.

The band have been really cool and given me a code for a free download of the album, but c'mon show the guys (and girl) some love and pitch them a few bucks. $7 really aint much for a belting 12 track album. Plus if they can get enough cash hopefully they'll get it pressed on vinyl so we can all listen to it the way it was meant to be.

~ Jay


For Fans Of; Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Elf, Wolfmother, Motorcity Daredevils



(code - eqn7-7sys)




Tuesday, November 01, 2011

Givin' It Both Barrels...

XII Boar - Demo (2011)


Apologies are in order. I wrote this entry a while back but I set the date wrong and I never went live when it should have. Bloody technology! Anyway, this is XII Boar, a stoner rock trio from Hampshire, England. They make dirty music for dirty people, and we bloody love it!
Sounding like the bastard child of Spiritual Beggars and Superjoint Ritual this sweet little EP/Demo just bursts with fuzzy grooves and head bobbing riffs one after another. It's like a smörgåsbord of stoner rock goodness, taking a little something from the genre and all its sub genres alike.

If this demo is a good foundation to what we can expect in the future from these guys then good god we're in for a treat...

~ Jay

For Fans Of; Crowbar, Orange Goblin, Red Fang, Winnebago Deal, Gurt


Website • Myspace • Facebook





Sunday, October 30, 2011

The Second Coming...

Ufesas - Self Titled LP (2011)


Firstly I should say a massive thank you to the anonymous tip off that I got about this new release from Ufesas.
I loved the self titled EP they released last year when I stuck on here a few months back so needless to say I was pretty excited to hear that more brand new material was up for grabs. Especially as that trying to find info about the band them selves has been about as fruitful as my search for rocking horse shit. None the less, its here so lets just be thankful for that.
So can you expect an extension from the EP of sorts? Well, yes and no. There aren't quite as many driving moments in the same ilk as previous tracks like The Destroyer or Goin' To The Mountain. Those sort of frantic moments have been reigned in a little to give way to a more sombre post rock kind of affair. Everything's taken on a darker, slightly sinister tone that the guys have really made work and captured in they're on way. It's quite a bold move, straying away from such an aggressive well executed pace to something entirely moody and down beat in comparison. The more I listen to it the more I feel that it really sits equidistant between prog and psych - distant and ambient yet equally trippy at the same time. That may sound like a bit of a handful but fear not, it works. Besides the main thing is that you can really hear a real growth from the band. It's clear that it wasn't a spur of the moment decision to alter they're style, it's obviously been heavily worked on and perfected.
If you loved the EP like I did you should really dig this second offering, even if it doesn't initially grab you stick with it and give it a couple of listens... I guarantee it will get you hooked.
I may be way off the mark but I think there maybe a possibility that the album will be coming out on vinyl through german label Droehnhaus. The only reason I'm assuming this is because they were good enough to press the bands two track 7" and on the art work supplied when you actually download this album the labels logo appears in the top corner as well as the tracks being listed as sided A and side B. Lets keep our fingers crossed because I'd love to be chucking this onto my turntable in the near future.

~ Jay

For Fans Of; Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Deepseagreen, Free, The Black Velvets, The Desert Sessions




Friday, October 28, 2011

Retro Esque Stoners (Part 2)...

Orchid - Capricorn (2011)


Now this is a prime example of how to step up your game!
Orchids first EP Through The Devil's Doorway was pretty tight, but this follow up well and truly blows it out of the water. Right from the opening track Eyes Behind The Wall you can clearly hear that the guys have carried on pushing toward that dark 70's sort of sound. Like a bastard child of Sabbath and Judas Priest thats been brought up on Led Zeppelin.

Look, enough of my rambling on though, just go and listen!

~ Jay

For Fans Of; Black Sabbath, Elf, Iron Maiden, Electric Wizard, Mountain Witch








Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Retro Esque Stoners (Part 1)...

Orchid - Through the Devil's Doorway (2010)


Right ladies and gents. Mostly gents I'm guessing actually. But still, shut up and listen. This will be the first of a bit of a two parter, so remember to check back...

While trawling bandcamp this week I stumbled upon these guys listed under 'traditional doom'. I'd seen their artwork before but had never got around to really checking them out. But being the ever the inquisitive fellow I just had to hear what actually constituted 'traditional doom', so I downloaded the first release by this San Franciscan quintet.
Straight out the gates you can hear that Orchid clearly rate Sabbath as one of their main influences. So much so that the opening riff to Into The Sun that just resonates of Symptom Of The Universe to the point where it totally feels like a homage. Nothing wrong with that. Hell, without Sabbath I'm sure half the our favourite bands and this very blog wouldn't exist. So kudos on that front.
As for the rest of the album, well it positively oozes of classic retro rock with smatterings of 80's garage. It's only 4 tracks, but they're all blinding! Check back on Friday for the guys follow up album that they released at the start of the year...

~ Jay


For Fans Of; Black Sabbath, Rainbow, Graveyard, Black Spiders, Thunder Horse








Monday, October 24, 2011

Drone With Groove...

Le Scimmie - Dromomania (2011)


I'll openly admit I'm not a massive fan of 'drone'. I often feel perplexed and annoyed that I've just spent £20+ for an album that consists of little more that fuzz and feedback. Yeah I dig a lot of Sunn O))), Jesu and the Boris stuff but its not really my 'go to' choice. Still, when I put this EP on my heart initially sank. The fuzz and ambiance made me feel like I was about to torment myself with mindless noise for god knows how long.
I was wrong.
Yeah the EP opens with a mellow tone and spaced out feel, but as soon as that passes the super down tuned space sludge begins. Like an early Crowbar sans Kirk Windstein, the riffs roll over and over in a nothing short of crushing way. They're the kind of tunes that you stereotypically expect from angry looking men with beards and tattoos. Which is kind of weird as Angelo (guitar) or Mario (drums) really fit into neither category. Looking more like a hipster Black Keys than a trippy ambient doom outfit. But appearances can be, and sure are in this case, deceiving. Besides thats doesn't matter in the slightest. It's all about the final product not image. That being said you really must also check out the video for the album's title track... It's creepy, weird and perfectly fitting. Like an odd 4 minute art house doom kinda project. To be honest you don't really even need the music playing to appreciate it. So strange, yet totally apt.

All in all it's a short but sweet affair, as the EP is spread over 4 tracks and lasts a total of about 12 minutes. But its 12 minutes well worth a listen. For a physical copy and one of their great looking shirts head over to their merch page.
I'll hopefully be bringing more from these guys to you soon, so watch this space.

~ Jay

For Fans Of; Sunn O))), Eyehategod, Crowbar, Karma To Burn, Old Man Gloom






Saturday, October 22, 2011

Son Of A...

Maylene And The Sons Of Disaster - IV (2011)


Unarguably one of the quintessential southern rock bands of the last few years, Maylene carved their way out of a sort of niche that some people who'd heard Underoath kind of placed them in. How exactly did they do that? Well, dirty groove filled deep south style riffs is the answer to that question. Now I love Maylene but the one thing that kind of gets to me about them is exactly the same thing that goes for Foo Fighters and The Subways. They just don't do 'heavy' enough. Don't get me wrong, all of those bands can do 'heavy', but thats just my point, they can do it, and when they do they do it epicly! Hell, just listen to tracks like Young For Eternity or the opening riff of Girls & Boys by The Subways. The Pretender by the Foo's or Bang, The Witch Is Dead by these guys. They have that awesome ability to create pure ferocity but it kind of seems that when they bring out an album half sounds like it was forged in the depths of hell, and oozes with phenomenal stomping riffs that could make a nun start air guitaring. But the other half is made up of slow ballad type offerings which just grind to a haul the entire pace of the album. What's worse is when they do this mid song. The best example of this here is probably the track Never Enough that starts of with such a vexed pace that you could imagine it being the soundtrack to you barreling down the freeway towards Alabama's state line in an old Dodge Charger being chased by the police. But then it quickly slows and kind of kills your buzz.
It's a shame really because with the opening track In Dead We Dream the album does start strong and like where III left off, gritty and angry. But then it just begins to feel like the whole thing has been over produced. Yeah you can here that the guys have progressed technically and even in the vocal department. But I don't know about you guys but thats not what I'm looking for from my southern rocks bands. Especially not with the track Open Your Eyes that sounds like 30 Seconds From Mars (or such like) trying their hand at a stoner rock tune. It's kind of embarrassing, to be honest.
All in all, there are some good tracks, but if you're expecting a Maylene of old you'll be bitterly disappointed. Sorry.

~ Jay


For Fans Of; Foo Fighters, Guns N Roses, Karma To Burn, Cky, The Damned Things





Thursday, October 20, 2011

A Dream Like State...

Ivy Garden Of The Desert - Docile (2011)


Diego from the band himself hit me up with this little gem, and damn I'm happy he did!
Hailing from Italy this post rock trio instantly make it clear that they have mastered the art of producing churning soundscapes. Thats no mean feat either. Trying to keep the listener hooked with predominently  instrumental tracks for nigh on 40 minutes is not as easy as it may seem. Few up and coming bands often fail to hit the nail on the head. Luckily Ivy Garden Of The Desert are not one of those bands.
Starting of at a mellow pace the album almost lulls you into a false sense of security, the slow beat and gentle guitars yearn of an early Yawning Man kind of feel. But once you hit you hit the 3:30 minute mark the tide turns and the tempo picks up. Now this is often where many bands mess up, trying to hit you with a barrage of unpredictable riffs and up beat drums that either just don't quite cut the mustard or sound massively out of place. Not here though. The build up is perfectly timed and executed.
In terms of vocals, the album is a little sparse, but not in a bad way. You don't here a voice for way past the first 10 minutes of the record but when you do it works and fits in well. Sounding somewhat Eddie Vedder-ish, you can easily tell as much time has gone into telling a story through the music as it has with the lyrics, quite a rare quality these days really. The contrast between the two sections is ideally balanced too, this is in no small part down to Diego's fantastic vocal tone that treads a fine line between moving and haunting, complimenting every other aspect of the album and bringing it all together. It swims through a variety of genres too, taking a little something away each time. You can quite easily pick out elements of psych, blues, doom, drone, classic prog and desert rock throughout the whole record almost like they're all patch worked together. Yet despite this nothing seems to throw the album of course. Kudos!

This is quality little release from a band that clearly have bucket loads of potential. Whats more, its also available through our friends Nasoni Records on lovely vinyl, though limited to just 500 copies. Im getting mine, you should too!

~ Jay

For Fans Of; Giants, Pelican, Crippled Black Phoenix, Red Sparowes, iO







Tuesday, October 18, 2011

From The Deep South... Of Where!?...

Startruckers - The Southern Sessions #3 (2011)


So I was scrolling through my iTunes and searching for bands to check back on as it were. Bands who's albums, EP's and demos I had at some point acquired a long time back and had some what failed to keep up with. Regrettably this was one of them. I'ld been sat on their second release The Southern Sessions #2 since shortly after it was first put up but just never got around to throwing it up here. Not to worry though, as they are back with this brand new offering, the aptly named The Southern Sessions #3. 
So if you've already skipped ahead and let rip the track at the bottom you may well be surprised to here that these guys ain't from Alabama. Nope, not California, Texas, or Kentucky either. This motley crew of southern rockers are from... France. Yup, I was a shocked as you.

~ Jay


For Fans Of; Kyuss, Artimus Pyledriver, Queens Of The Stone Age, He Is Legend, Dust Bowl










Monday, October 17, 2011

Dead To Rights...

Dead Existence - Born Into The Planet's Scars (2011)


Not to blow our own trumpets, but here in the UK we know how to do heavy. We started in the late 60's/early 70's with Sabbath and never looked back. Coughing up Napalm Death in the 80's, Iron Monkey in the 90's then in just the last couple of years amid the forever waining industry the amount of self financed thunderous acts that have seeped out the wood work has never been higher. Bands like Gurt, Iron Witch, Sigiriya, Hang The Bastard and our good friends Thunder Horse and Dopefight to name just a few. We're sure as hell not short of talent over here, and that statement can be extended with this London based post hardcore, sludge, stoner crew.
I'll admit, I've meant to get these guys on here for a while, ever since Ant from Dopefight gave me a copy of the two bands split EP. For some reason I never actually got round to it. My bad.
Nevertheless, this brand new release is the perfect excuse to bring some awesome down tuned grooves straight to your ears! Imagine a slower incarnation of Buzz•oven merged with High On Fire... with tracks in excess of 10 minutes. Each of which drag you through a myriad of fused genres - Hardcore meeting sludge, creeping into doom and occasionally fading into drone, and all aptly playing the backdrop for some of the best tortured vocal stylings I've heard this year. It's truly brutal and goddamn does it paint a picture. I swear, if Dante's Inferno had a sound track this would be it. But don't listen to me, check the sample track below and hear for yourself...

Now the guys have put this up and album available from their bandcamp in digital and cd form for a rock bottom price. So fair's fair, I've just supplied a link below to download the opening track Down The Crooked Path. If you dig it, show the guys some charity and drop them some cash. C'mon, you know it's worth it!

~ Jay

For Fans Of; Crowbar, Soilent Green, Weedeater, Bongripper, Dopefight


Website • Myspace • Facebook • Bandcamp





Friday, October 14, 2011

Eerie Italians...

Otehi - Noisy Spirit (2011)


These chaps dropped me an email requesting a review while I was away, and I'm really glad they did. Not only because they're followers of the blog but because this trio produce some of the best trippy experimental stoner rock this side of the western hemisphere. Like prog infused with an underlying funk, the best description in terms of a suitable genre would have to be 'post desert rock', which I'm quite digging to tell the truth. But to be honest, I've racked my brains and I can't really figure out any other suitable description. The copious amounts of fuzz that bathe the equally copious amounts of distorted and echoey riffs really deserve nothing less than being compared to a mix of Nebula and Tool. Lyrics wise, it's all a little sparse, but this is totally forgiving when the tactile delivery of each instrument combine to paint such a vivid acoustic picture. A picture that twists and turns, beginning with the opening track Monolith e Monolith - a furious opening filled with distorted guitars, prominent crashes and echoed vocals before winding down to an ambient fuzz that sort of prologues the middle of the album through a slower, somber and darker tone. The pace soon picks back up with the second from last track Savage Land which throughout erupts with a haunting stereotypical stoner riff that will be guaranteed to still in your head for the rest of the day upon hearing it.
The guys have managed to perfectly capture in equal measure all those nuances so prominent in mainstream ambient post rock and successfully intertwine them with and widely balanced stoner rock tone and furiously. It's cracking!

~Jay

For Fans Of; Crippled Black Phoenix, Causa Sui, Sungrazer, Lo-Pan, Blackland






Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Dirty Bastards...

At Devil Dirt - Self Titled (2011)


Holy crap this is one hell of a dirty, fuzzed out monolith of an album! Don't misinterpret that as this being an ambient/drone kind of offering though, because you'd really be miles from the truth. It's got all that biblically monstrous fuzz akin to the kings of drone Sunn O))), but its also dripping in style and groove. It's like desert rock, played to a sludge tone with vocals somewhat reminiscent to that of some 90's psychedelic rock. The more I listen to this album the more it's strikes me as being utterly remarkable. The guys have managed to adopt a tone and tuning that Eyehategod would be envious of, command slow chugging riffs on a par with Sleep and tripped out hallowed vocal sound much like a bleak Alice In Chains. Oh, and when I say 'guys' I mean that in it's simplest of terms, because all this remarkable work and talent is the product of just two guys! It's almost beyond comprehension. Everything feels so layered, full and perfected despite there only being drums and one guitar, it's hard to believe there's just two of them.
If you don't mind the majority of the vocals being in Spanish (unless that does happen to be your native tongue) you should really dig this album. Hell, even if you are bothered by not being able to understand all the lyrics I guarantee that this album with still make your jaw drop. I barely understand a word of whats being sang but the pure furiously and aching groove that seeps out of every single second of this record is more than enough for me to whack it straight into our top 10 of 2011!

I urge you to not waste anymore time and head over to Corvus Distro and pick up a copy of the album on cd, not only because it's fantastically awesome but it's also limited to just 500 copies!

~ Jay

For Fans Of; White Hills, Kyuss, Sleep, Mountain Witch, Black Pyramid







Monday, October 10, 2011

No Pain No Gain...

3 Stages Of Pain - With Chaos In Her Wake (2002)



Not so much of a retro entry here, just going back a few years. Well, nearly 10 to be precise. But still, it's worth it. You'll see...

Right, lets set the scene a little. It's 2002, and the UK metal scene is in full swing. Sadly the sun had set on the mighty Iron Monkey but their inspiration lived on in a variety of new and aspiring acts including (but not only); Johnny Truant, Charger, Raging Speedhorn and these guys. Hailing from Doncaster, England (for those of you not in the UK, thats up north) the 5 piece firmly straddled the stoner and hardcore genres. Fusing frantic screamed and roared vocals and a slightly faster paced stoner influenced metal composition the end product was truly brutal. A brutality which they also brought to every single live show I witnessed them at. Like a clash between Refused and Unsane - Manic and heavy yet nicely veering away from all the off beat discordant technical bull. The best way to picture it is if you were to imagine if Converge has just taken their influences from the likes of Sabbath, Motörhead, Metallica etc etc. Or in other words an English Doomriders.

You'll love them. Trust me.

~ Jay


For Fans Of; Doomriders, Norma Jean, Iron Monkey, Raging Speedhorn, Coalesce






Saturday, October 08, 2011

All Eyes On You...

The Heavy Eyes - Promo EP (2011)


The Heavy Eyes were one of the very first bands I put up on here, and I loved their first EP. So needless to say I'm glad to be hearing new stuff from the Memphis blues trio. Not only that, they've clearly gone from strength to strength. Which is great to hear, especially as this is just a preamble to their forthcoming full length release. The drop date of which has not yet been announced but they better make it soon because once again these guys have left me wanting a whole lot more.
Just like last time they return with dirty fuzz blues at it's best. You don't wanna miss out on this one. Watch this space for more info on the album coming soon...


For Fans Of; Radio Moscow, Black Mountain, The Black Keys, Chicago Stone Lightning Band, The Dust Bowl








Thursday, October 06, 2011

Fuzz Down Under...

Kaleidoscope - Self Titled EP (2011)



I first caught wind of this trio via our old favourites No Anchor and right out the gates I was impressed.
Furious stoner lead breaks with a hint of desert rock yearnings mixed with Anthony's stirring vocals make for a fantastic result. It doesn't matter what genre you opt to fit this outfit into, what matters is that they're rocking' more fuzz than a Wookies crotch.


For Fans Of; The Desert Sessions, Spiritual Beggers, Yawning Man, Wo Fat, Aver







Tuesday, October 04, 2011

Blast From The Past...

Black Sabbath – Master of Reality (1971)



The early 70’s were a busy period for Black Sabbath. In the space of five months from February 1970, they released two of the most influential records in the history of heavy metal, in the form of their self-titled debut and Paranoid. The latter spawned the instantly recognisable ‘Iron Man’, ‘Paranoid’, ‘War Pigs’ and ‘Planet Caravan’, and in the process seemed to be blazing a trail for other metal bands, even to this day.
However, Master of Reality – released in July 1971 – showed that Sabbath were not content with churning out the same riffs album after album, as it’s an altogether darker, slower and sludgier experience. The opening coughing loop in the intro to the fantastic opening track ‘Sweet Leaf’ sets the eerie precedent for the entirety of the rest of the album. ‘Lord of This World’ follows in a similar vein, with a typically sludgy, patient build-up, before breaking into driving riffs and breakdowns that almost became a trademark for Sabbath in their first two offerings in the previous year.
Whilst Sabbath also show their versatility with ‘Solitude’ – in which Tony Iommi swaps his guitar for the flute, and ends up creating eight minutes of music that Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson would be proud of. However the jewel in the crown of Master of Reality is the sensational ‘Children of the Grave’, a masterpiece which can do nothing but lure you in within the opening chords. Add Bill Ward’s unconventional drumming, Geezer Butler’s doom-laden bassline to the mix and Ozzy’s shrill vocals, and you have a definitive stand-out track from the album.
The album finishes on ‘Into the Void’, which has shades of ‘War Pigs’ about it, but nevertheless displays their talents with a plethora of slow and heavy riffs early on, before the wonderful switch of tempo and the guitars soon come crashing in. It’s also worth noting Kyuss’ superb cover of ‘Into the Void’ – solely for John Garcia’s alternate lazy, stoner-influenced vocals.
Master of Reality received a huge amount of criticism when it first came out, as American journalist Lester Bangs proclaimed the album to be: ‘’naive, simplistic, repetitive, absolute doggerel.’’ – although it is hard to look past the fact nobody had attempted the sludge, stoner sound that Sabbath were producing and they were essentially ahead of their time. The subsequent influence of Sabbath’s sound in Master of Reality is almost consistently present in the genres of doom, stoner and sludge metal in the 40 years since the album was released. The likes of stoner and sludge artists such as Kyuss, Orange Goblin, Electric Wizard and Eyehategod amongst many, many others have taken elements from Master of Reality and built on it, which simply pays tribute to the legacy of Black Sabbath.

~ Jon

For Fans Of; (Any good music, ever)



Sunday, October 02, 2011

Heavier Than A Death In The Family...

Raise The Red Lantern - Breath Fire (2005)




Damn this is one hell of a crushing album! Just picture a cross between Baroness's Red Album and High On Fire's Death Is This Communion and you'll be beginning to realise what you'll be expecting when you listen to Raise The Red Lantern. They've got that big fat pulverising neanderthal like tone that spews wave after wave of furious lead breaks and storming choruses right down on top of you. Anyone who's seen the likes of The Sword or Doomriders live will know exactly what I'm getting at. Like pure unadulterated groove filled relentless carnage.
But its not all thrash and no trousers. Sure the guys can crank out some awesome guitar solos but they don't, like so many other bands, take it that step too far and labour the point. Where so many acts just plough through and just seem to try and play as fast as possible for as long as possible (and inevitably bore the arse of you) RTRL get straight to the point. There's techy riffs left right and centre but they manage to keep them punchy and well balanced. They're not a blink and you'll miss it affair, but they're also not a "jesus, this solo's been going on for 5 minutes!" kinda deal. That pleases me not end.
I really can't help but feel labels such as Relapse or Southern Lord really dropped the ball somewhere down the like by not signing these guys. Even if it was just to press this one record. Nonetheless, it's angry, it's fast and it's chock full of groove. Go get it!

Oh, and be sure to also check out Seventh Rule Records, as these chaps are backing some other great bands.

~ Jay

For Fans Of; High On Fire, The Sword, Black Cobra, Baroness, Mastodon






Friday, September 30, 2011

Insane Irish Duo...

I'll Eat Your Face - Hot Brains Terror (2011)



Barry from the band hit me up with a copy of the new album Hot Brains Terror over a month back and straight from the outset I knew it was bound to be something a little different... Two piece Irish grindcore band featuring ex members of the awesome Alter Of Plagues and For Ruin... Of course it was going to be something special, that was a no brainer (no pun intended). Plus being a big Agoraphobic Nosebleed and Discordance Axis fan it was bound to give me a certain degree of listening pleasure. But everyone loves a bit of grindcore right? Of course they do, and this album certainly won't change that. Hell, Jay Randal would be proud of this record! Break neck drum beats and furious guitars are the order of the day. But don't worry, its not all just mindless violent noise, yeah ok, I know that wouldn't be a bad thing, but IEYF have kind of pushed the boundaries a little by incorporating touches of genres not usually associated with the grindcore scene. As the album twists and turns you're met with elements reminiscent of black metal, thrash, punk, hardcore and hints of drone. I'ld like to think that if Pelican, Converge and Sunn O)))) got together to start a grind band the end result would be somewhat similar. It's immense, frantic, sombre and ever so beautifully mentally warped... I love it!

Now this little baby goes up live today, so as soon as you're done reading my drivel head over to the bandcamp page and download it. The guys are also being kind enough to give you an option to pay what you want for it, so dig deep you tight bastards!

~ Jay


For Fans Of; Agoraphobic Nosebleed, Gore Beyond Necropsy, Napalm Death, Discordance Axis, The Locust


Website • Myspace • Facebook • Bandcamp

Thursday, September 29, 2011

News...

Unless my plane has crashed into the ocean, I shall be many miles from home from today so apologies if the up coming reviews are a little on the short side or a bit sporadic for the following week...

In the mean time though, if you're require a little a stoner fix, head over to our You Tube channel and the hundred plus videos we've uploaded for your pleasure. Including recent never before heard tracks from The Duke Of Nothing...

~ Jay

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Death From Above...

Serial Hawk - Demos (2011)


I'm just going to keep this short and sweet as for the next week I'm a little strapped for time...

Serial Hawk are a Seattle based three piece that play nice, fuzzed out garage style heavy instrumental rock with cracking stoner overtones. You'll really dig them.
I believe they're also currently on the look out for a new drummer so if you live on the north west coast and can smash the skins drop the guys a message...


For Fans Of; Karma To Burn, High On Fire, Neurosis, Jucifer, White Hills


Website • Myspace • Facebook • Bandcamp






Monday, September 26, 2011

From Russia With Fuzz...

No Fuzz - No Fun Intended (2011)



I think this may actually be the first female front band we've featured on here... I do apologise to all you ladies out there, I assure you it wasn't a conscious effort.

Right then. No Fuzz, they're from Russia, they've got a good punky undertone and they don't really look much like they sound. If that makes sense? But seriously, give the album a listen and you kind of get the mental image that they're all gonna be a big grungy looking, possibly a couple of punks, tattoos, ripped jeans and safety pins, you know what I'm getting at right? Well, think completely the opposite and you'd be damn sight closer. Not that thats a issue or a problem, because at the end of the day this album on its own merits alone is a little corker - catchy tunes that kind of reminisce (in parts) of an early Black Keys and a great female vocal front that really echoes of Sahara Hotnights. Not the usual thing we have on here I grant you but I will openly admit that I'm occasionally drawn to some things that sway more to the indie side of genres, and this is one of those times.
If you in anyway dug the album by Winnebago Deal that I put up some time back then you should seriously check this album out!

~ Jay

For Fans Of; Sahara Hotnights, The Subways, Iggy & The Stooges, Winnebago Deal, The Donnas









Saturday, September 24, 2011

The Swedes Are At It Again...

Dödaren - Flyttar In (2011)



Damn this little EP opens with one hell of a riff! It's simple but effective, like an eerie sort of slowed down Red Fang type of sound, then merging in to vocals vaguely reminiscent of Black Strobe. It's all a little distant and merky but holy crap does it rock! I can't make head nor tail of the lyrics but when they're bashing out some classic 70's style heavy psych jams it doesn't really matter too much. It's kind of hard to really nail down exactly how these guys sound in words. I think the best I can do is say; Imagine a Scandinavian version of Clutch playing some kind retro influenced rock with the occasional hint of post metal...
Hell, go listen yourself and draw your own conclusions.

~ Jay

For Fans Of; Graveyard, Clutch, Lonely Kamel, Electric Moon, Red Sparowes







Thursday, September 22, 2011

Doom, Blues And Harmonicas...

Yama - Demo (2011)



Straight from the get go you're able to grasp where this demo is heading. That may sound a bit like a dig or a criticism but its really not, far from it in fact. I've always maintained that if an album or demo can grab you within the first minute it will, 9 times out of 10 hold you for the full length... and thats what Yama have managed to pull off here.
Alex's distant ghostly vocals intertwined with a somber guitar lead set such a great opening tone you can't help but want to listen on. Like its the quiet before the storm and something's about to erupt. You'd be right too. The tempo soon picks up and the blues influenced desert rock riffs start flowing. By the second track Seaquake an equally haunting harmonica is also thrown into the mix and is the highlight of the demo. The tracks intro is so dark and tortured you're totally drawn in so when the oncoming wave of 70's fused southern rock guitars hits you're completely taken off guard. It real stuns you. But if that wasn't enough, the guys once again turn the tables half way through the 6 1/2 minute track and abruptly hit you full on with a unique blend of blues and (almost) thrash. It's strange and unorthodox but hell does it work!
These guys have gone right to the top of my list of bands I'm eagerly awaiting a full length album from.

Three tracks of superbly belting, fuzzy goodness. One hell of a demo!

~ Jay

For Fans Of; Down, Kyuss, Sungrazer, Graveyard, Aver




Demo (320kbps)




Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Waxing Lyrical - Vinyl Review...

Hang The Bastard - Hellfire Reign (2010)


Back once again with a lovely vinyl review, and possibly the first of two this week providing Royal Mail buck their ideas up...
Nonetheless, today Im happy to present to you, once again, the awesome Hang The Bastard and their belter of a debut full length album Hellfire Reign. Now some of you will have most likely caught our review a few months back of their 09' EP Raw Sorcery, which was quite frankly, the mutts nuts. Well, this little gem here is the guys (difficult) follow up. Not to waste your time but I may as well tell you now, they've once again knocked it out the park. Dirty chucking riffs mixed with hardcore stylings are there in the bucket load. I really should admit that I've never been a hardcore fan, the typical hardcore bands have always seemed to lack a something for me. Its like all the ingredients are there but just not in the right order. These chaps however have always fallen on my good side. I can't quite put my finger on it but I suspect its that noticeable groove that runs through each track. Its not just that mindless 'lets just play as loud and as fast as we can and screw the contents' mentality. Although from the first 60 seconds of the album you could be forgiven for thinking its going that way... Fear not though, that ambience soon turns to a mix of high octane balls to the wall, break neck drum beats, down tuned chugging guitars and gut wrenching screams... and lets face it, thats all we're looking for.
A beyond brutal collection of a dirty mix of hardcore, stoner doom and sludge that puts some similar veteran bands to shame!


• Label: Holy Roar Records

• Pressing Info: Limited to 100 - Black, 400 - Blue & Green

• Price: £10/$15


~ Jay


For Fans Of; Iron Monkey, Soilent Green, Raging Speedhorn, Cult Of Luna, Dopefight


Myspace • Facebook • iTunes




Sunday, September 18, 2011

2 Years In The Making...

Elder - Dead Roots Stirring (2011)


Remember back in 2009 when Elder released their self titled debut LP? It was an absolute belter of a stoner  album and left everyone massively impressed and desperate for more. Well its only taken the guys 2 years but god bless them they're back with a brand spanking new studio album. But surely I hear you say, how could they possibly do any better than their first effort!?... They can't.
Haha, only joking! Once again, and naturally they've well and truly knocked it well outta the park. Which really begs the question, why the hell have they not been picked up by a major label yet!?

A touch more psychedelic and upbeat than it's forerunner the entire album still drips in big fat waves of riffs and distant haunting vocals. But moving away slightly from the doomy first outing hasn't hampered the band in anyway. Where as many would often fall foul of straying away from a proven and well received style the guys have managed to maintain their solid song structure and create something that feels almost completely new. If thats not a true testament of talent, I don't know what is.

~ Jay

For Fans Of; Sleep, Electric Wizard, Black Pyramid, Stonehelm, Wo Fat




Friday, September 16, 2011

Waxing Lyrical - Vinyl Review...

Church Of Misery - Master Of Brutality / Second Coming (2011)



Finally! It's here...
I initially got word of the repress of Master Of Brutality when talking to Tatsu late last year. It was all a bit hush hush and nothing was set in stone at the time, but nevertheless I was excited. So when it was annouced within the first few months of the year its was definitely going ahead along with the repress of Second Coming it was music to my ears. The initial release date was for around May time, that then got pushed back to June, then further on to August then finally, just last week, after months of daily checking it eventually popped up on the Rise Above website.
Unlike the repress of Volume 1, nothings new in the way of the mix of either recording but then both original versions of the LP's were pretty much spot on anyway. What has changed is the addition of bonus tracks spread over an extra disc each as well as the covers. Where the original Masters Of Brutality vinyl came with the John Wayne Gacy cover inside of a cardboard envelope, they have this time opted for the Sabbath homage. As for the Second Coming cover, nothing actually new, instead of the original LP's simple orange paper Ted Bundy adorned sleeve they have actually used the cover that Salvation Records used then they repressed the cd back in 2005. Either way, both look great.
There's not much point going into detail about the albums, if you're here then you'll know Church Of Misery and how awesome they are. If by what ever reason you don't, well then just go hit the links below and have your mind well and truly blown!..

By the way, I managed to order a few copies just minutes after they went up on the site. Within 48 hours all of the clear vinyl super limited editions had gone! So you may just have a problem getting hold of these ones...

~ Jay


• Label: Rise Above Records

• Pressing Info:
Master Of Brutality - 100 Clear - 300 Transparent Purple - 300 Grey - 300 Half Transparent Purple/Half Grey
Second Coming - 100 Clear - 300 Transparent Blue - 300 Transparent Red - 300 Half Transparent Blue/Half Transparent Red

• Price: £18/$25



For Fans Of; Black Sabbath, Eyehategod, Motörhead, Iron Monkey, Dot[.]