... FUNERAL CIRCLE – ‘Funeral Circle’ (Album review)

Vancouver, British Columbia’s Funeral Circle caught my attention a few years ago with the release of their debut EP ‘Sinister Sacrilege’. It took me awhile to track down a physical copy, but when I finally did I was rewarded with a traditional doom metal album that was wrought with an occult atmosphere and, at times, over-the-top heavy metal excess. Just listen to the NWOBHM gallop of the EP’s fourth track “Fist of Satan” with its Halford-like maniacal laughter and its chant inducing chorus, “When I say what—you say Satan. What?...What?”, for a taste of the band’s tongue-in-cheek brand of sinister doom metal. Just try not to respond, “Satan!...Satan!,” while pumping your fist in the air. Fast forward four years and the band is about to let loose their self-titled full-length debut for mass consumption. Needless to say the wait was well worth it.

The most notable change to the band’s sound is an unwavering focus on traditional doom replete with a darker, more austere atmosphere than its predecessor. The tempos remain slow and low while the vocals have been reigned in a bit and, for the most part, are confined to the lower registers. While the faster, NWOBH influences of the band’s past definitely put Funeral Circle in a realm of their own, there is no denying that the band is just as adept at composing doomed dirges fit for ritualistic sacrifice or for invoking the Master.

Funeral Circle puts its best foot forward with the powerful “Scion of Infinity”. The self-titled album opener is not only one of the finest tunes penned by the band, but it also serves as a harbinger of things to come. “Scion of Infinity” immediately invokes other contemporary masters of the genre such as Procession or Rote Mare by venturing into the dominion of down-tuned yet melodic doom. The latter half of the track is gloriously imbued with overlapping, ethereal guitar leads that pushes the listener over the precipice and precariously holds them aloft the doomed-out soundscape. “Scion of Infinity” may be one of the strongest tracks on the album, but I would hesitate to call this album front-loaded.

Heavy. Eerie. Epic. Melodic. These four words accurately sum up another album highlight “Corpus of Dark Sorcery”. The melodic lead guitar intro harkens back to the Funeral Circle of old, but the band ultimately settles into a funereal pace. The track is bestowed with a greater depth of diabolical atmosphere through its use of whispered background vocals and glimpses of the higher registers of the main vocals that were found in abundance on the band’s debut EP.

Where does the band fall short? Nowhere really. Depending on your perspective, the acoustic, spoken word third track, “Tempus Edax Rerum” (Latin for “time, devourer of all things”), can be viewed as either extraneous or indulgent. The band, unlike their contemporaries in Procession, wisely keeps their album’s interlude brief—just under three minutes—and stylistically different from the rest of the album. There are those who will view “Tempus Edax Rerum” as a brief annoyance while others will find that it breaks up the album nicely. I’m slowly beginning to be swayed toward the latter opinion.

Funeral Circle’s return to the fold is long overdue, but those who have remained faithful will be well rewarded with the release of the band’s upcoming self-titled full-length. The band has refocused their sound by shedding their NWOBHM tendencies and adopting a more somber approach to their songwriting. The end result encompasses everything that should be found in a traditional doom metal album from the heavy, memorable riffs to the all-enveloping atmosphere of hopelessness and despair. The band should be making announcements on a physical release for the album soon.

Words: Steve Miller

https://www.facebook.com/funeralcircle

... DEMON LUNG "The Hundredth Name" (Album Review)

Demon Lung hails from the modern day Sodom, that brackish oasis in the desert, Las Vegas, Nevada.  What better place for a band to coagulate their musical efforts into the choking mists of doom and strangulate the population with their thick, dark cloud of heavy sounds.  Last year they made their first appearance with the ‘Pareidolia’ EP, which featured some solid songs and an identity built around wailing Zakk Wylde / Dimebagian squeals atop a solid doom groove with arresting female vocals.  On June 3 the band will unleash their full-length debut on Candlelight Records of all new material, a concept album, no less.

The concept reads as follows (from the label’s promo): “The long-begotten son of Satan, who’s been sent to earth to assemble the three parts of the devil’s bible so that we can speak the name of God in reverse and undo creation [sic].” 

The album starts off slow enough with a nearly six minute intro drowning listeners in wave after wave of pummeling drone guitar strikes to create a torturously ominous build-up on “Binding of the Witch”.  The riffs creep up slowly, stalking the witch by excruciating stealth only to pounce when the time is right with one of the mightiest grooves one is likely to hear.  From that point forward all hell breaks loose and the floodtide of riffs and groove washes over the listener.  It’s not long before the knees start to buckle under the sheer weight of it.  One after another Demon Lung chops away riffs with the simplest of tools to create a monumental and momentous album.

When it comes to heavy music, and the abrasive moments, neck injury time from headbanging moments, simplicity is best.  5 grit sandpaper tones, open chords, head down, slice away riffs.  Those are the best.  Simplicity has sparked revolutions in music and technology.  And the clinic that Demon Lung puts on for their full-length debut absolutely vaporizes most of the competition, including their own debut four song EP.  Apparently never ones to second guess themselves, Demon Lung just appears to play what sounds good without getting too self-conscious about it.  This is what makes ‘The Hundredth Name’ a terrific record.  Where do you go when everything has been done a million times and it takes a rocket surgeon to innovate a new sound?  Easy, you just keep playing whatever sounds good and heavy.

That’s not to say the band doesn’t have chops, it’s just that groove is emphasized over ‘technical excellence’.  Each of the first three of the album’s eight tracks hammers listeners into the ground with heavy groove.  There are times when the band sounds like Pantera on downers.  But remember, there is a storyline here and the band plays according to mood, the foundation of the album is that long introduction.  Sludgified Doom permeates every moment and heavy groove rises out of the sonic landscape like R’lyeh from a poisoned ocean, especially on the organ-augmented and atmospheric centerpiece “A Decade Twice over a Day”.  As the album progresses, so does the doom, while the heavy groove is slowly choked off, a scheme that plays out like a cosmological battle which veers leftward.

For those who sampled Demon Lung’s EP, let it be known that this is a far more accomplished effort, featuring a streamlined sound, the band having delivered on their early potential.  The vocals are powerful but understated, double kick is used sparingly and is never overdone.  The double kick and the guitar squeals give Demon Lung a more heavy metal sound than most doom outfits, ‘The Hundredth Name’ is heavy, nearly to a fault but should provide a long-lasting fix for doom addicts.  Recommended.


words by Lucas Klaukien

http://www.facebook.com/demonlungband
http://www.demonlungband.com
http://www.candlelightrecordsusa.com

                                 

... SATORI JUNK "Doomsday" (EP review)

Coming from Milano (Italy), SATORI JUNK is a young Stoner/Doom band comprised of  Lucas (vocals/synth), Chris (guit), Lorenzo (bass) and Giacomo (drums).

Formed in August 2012, the band presents now its first demo/EP entitled "Doomsday". Such a short delay in recording (this was released in february, so, just 5 months after the band's creation) is often not a problem basically when the musicians are experimented with a rich background, but when it's not the case - it can quickly show some limits... like in here, hopefully those young-heads present a few serious assets which compensate with their relative inexperience and restlessness !

"Doomsday" includes 4 pretty long songs for a bit less than 30 minutes of fuzzy mid-paced Stoner/Sludge taking influences in Electric Wizard and Sleep for the most part...

Nothing damn original for sure although the song "The Green Beautiful" composed in 3 parts is a promising centerpart which brings something to the table... on this one which is growing in mesmerizing and unbridled psychedelica, gnarly backing vocals and the use of synth brings that little something to an overall  which is generally a bit more up-tempo than most bands playing this overused genre; vocals could be at times a bit more hazy and raspy  but no drugged-out effects make them distinctive, yet they need some improvement in the tone and english diction...

As a 1st recording, this "Doomsday" puts nicely solid basis of a future sound that needs more time and development to prove definitely its own caracters... no doubt, the lesson will be learnt, so I'm sure it could be interesting to follow SATORI JUNK closely in the future !

https://www.facebook.com/SatoriJunk

... beyond awesome Bolt Thrower inheritance : OUTER HEAVEN "Demo 2013" (review)

To compare a young band to prestigious precursors of the genre is something pretty different than just mention some influences... OUTER HEAVEN is an outstanding new Death Metal band from Douglassville (Pennsylvania - USA) and if I cite BOLT THROWER, presently this is not just as a major influence but simply to place this quatuor at the early level of the UK legends and more precisely as a missing link between "In Battle there is no Law" and "Realm of Chaos" !!! No less, indeed...

Take the grinding crudeness of the legendary 1st album and add the crushing heaviness of their ultimate sophomore effort, definitely giving a prominent European vibe of the very late 80's/Early 90's in here, perpetuated by a bunch of Finnish bands... and you've got here an amazing demo, one of the best I've listened to in a long while !!!

And this is not just musically, cause Austin Haines vocals are also very close those of Karl Willets, something he didn't do on purpose obviously as this kind of voice is pretty unique ; but OUTER HEAVEN is no copycat of anyone, maybe they could if their songs were longer and filled invariably with typical shredding chainsaw guitars and/or commanding heaviness...  one could request a bit longer songs though, just the 1st song clocks at 4 minutes, the others are under 02:40 ! This is authentically raw and blasting heavily, yet that doesn't sound deliberately old-school like.

Obviously this is dark, extremely heavy and grinding but not the putrid kind of stuff you know, more of the bombastic HC/crust power, in any cases I think that doesn't sound particularly evil and that obscure as their logo may suggest  !

While the 5 first songs are very raw and unrestrained with well spoted headbanging mid-paced moments ("Eden Burns", "Death Grip", "Vessel Empty"), both last songs shift on different moods, "Towards the Sun" eyes on stonerish southern grooves which in this context could remind Entombed and finally "Chained" is a doomier song with a more menacing and modern (not pejorative at all !) tone...

I'll carefully follow what those guys will do next, I'm convinced that some good Death Metal label with sense will quickly give them a chance. Check out this name your price download, this demo is simply a MONSTER !

https://www.facebook.com/OuterHeavenPA

Drop out to live... : an Extensive INTERVIEW with BACKWOODS PAYBACK !!!

I've really dug the hell out of the latest Backwoods Payback album, Momantha (Small Stone Records). Truth be told, I have really dug it a great deal.  Lead singer / guitarist, Mike Cummings, is a definite stand out. His voice cuts thru a sea of mediocre vocalists, most of who generally hide behind a borrowed snarl. Bringing to the table a raw yet well controlled set of pipes, Ol' Boy does not shy away from a strong melody. Mix that in with lots of hammering riffs that are all wound up in well written dirty jams, there is not a clunker in the bunch.

Have no doubt, this isn't the Mike Cummings solo show. He is ably backed by the rip and tear guitars of Rylan Caspar, rolling low end brought on by Jessica Baker with the massively solid skin beating of Tom Ewing. Bottom line is I highly recommend picking this album up. Hell get two, and give one to a friend.

How did you come about naming your current album "Momantha"? Its named after the hockey player Mo Mantha right?

--Our old drummer came up with the title and I dug the way it sounded. He didn’t mention anything about it being the name of a hockey player. We found that out later. But the sound of the word, it just brought this image of something HUGE…I envisioned it rising out of the ground like a Godzilla type creature…just massive.

Backwoods Payback is definitely one of my personal favorite bands on Small Stone Records, how did the hell you come to signing with the label?

--We were on tour back in 2010 with our good friends Lo Pan. They had signed onto Small Stone earlier in the year and we were really stoked for them. At the Detroit stop of the tour Scott Hamilton (label head dude) came to the show, watched us jam and afterwards asked me who was putting out our records. I told him we do everything on our own and he said that Small Stone would like to put out our next one if we were down with it. I said “YUP”, and here we are!

How has it been working with Small Stone?

--When I started the band I made a list of all the things I wanted to do with backwoods…the bands I wanted to play with, the places I wanted to go, and on that list was “put a record out with Small Stone or Southern Lord”. Scotts been good to us.

Will Small Stone be putting out the next Backwoods Payback full length?  

--We are putting out an EP on 12” vinyl on our own this summer. Small Stone has the option for our next full length album…I imagine it will happen next year.

"Momantha" was produced by the hella great Benny Grotto, what was it like working with him?

--Benny is great man. Knows his shit, and really listens to tunes BEFORE you head into the studio to start working. It makes a difference for sure. He has an ear for the direction we wanted to go and helped us get there. Great dude.

 Is Benny going to be producing the next album?

--If we end up heading back to Boson and Mad Oak he will for sure. If we try and track the record around out neck of the woods, I am sure he will have a hand in mixing and mastering the final product.

What is the creative process like for Backwoods Payback? Do you hammer tunes out collectively or do you work on them separately?

--It’s always different. Most of the time one of us comes to the table with an idea or collection of rifs and sounds and we all kind of flesh it out. I am definitely more the “complete song” writer. I am always writing, and when I get something going that I think would work well with the rest of the folks I try and get it recorded as fast as possible. There are times that it gets morphed into something afterwards, but more often than not I can go back and listen to the original solo demo of a tune and it matched up pretty much dead on with what we end up jamming together.

 

Have you been working on songs for the next album?

--Totally. We are always writing. We have about 6 songs written for the next full length and another 6 that are already recorded for that EP we are putting out this summer.

 Not to sound weird but can you describe your band room? (That does sound weird I know. I just always like hearing about or seeing a bands rehearsal/writing space. It's where the creativity happens. Who doesn't dig when bands put pictures of their band room out there for the fan to see where the "magic" happens??

--We jam in our basement. Its nothing special, but its home. The stairway down is covered in old fliers and posters from shows over the years. I collect toys and odd stuff so theres always something fun or strange laying around down there as well.

 Any idea or time frame for your next full length release?

--The EP should be out by the end of the summer, the next full length I guessing spring of next year.

Backwoods Payback has been touring recently...Are you road testing any new material?

--I tend to get bored and always want to try out new stuff. This past run we were rotating 3 or 4 new songs in and out of the set each night. They are starting to get where they should be.

What are some things that inspire you to write your music?

--Just about anything can spark something. It’s mainly internal for me though. A thought, a feeling, something said in passing that sticks with me. I don’t draw to much from current events…I let other folks handle that.

Would you name a song you wish you wrote...And why

--I don’t really have one. I am a huge Neil Young fan and most everything that man does wows me. But I never really wished that I wrote something, It lets me enjoy it in a different way I guess…

Obviously, Backwoods Payback is a hardworking, blue collar band. Nothing comes free, nothing comes easy.  What do you all do for work when not on the road?

--I work in a hair salon in downtown West Chester. Been doing it since about 1999. Jessica works for a voting support service, and Rylan is a carpenter/cabinet maker.

 What made you pick up a guitar way back when?

--I started out wanting to play the saxophone. But after trying it out and not getting a single sound to come out of it, I decided maybe that wasn’t for me. I don’t remember how I got the idea of playing bass in my head, but that’s where I went next. I taught myself how to play and jammed with some folks throughout junior high and highschool. I traded one of my basses to a kid that had an electric guitar he didn’t want and took it from there. I figured it would be easier to write my own songs and do something with them if I was playing the guitar and singing, rather than the bass.

Who is your favorite guitarist?

--Probably Neil Young. I love the stuff that Danny Whitten did opposite Neil on “Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere” too. Neils playing is just so pure, primal and raw. Every note feels like it counts.

You have a very unique voice, Who are you inspired by?

--Eddie Vedder for sure. Mike Patton was always a big influence on me as well.

How did Backwoods Payback get together?

--I was in a band that had run its course and I knew that I wasn’t done touring and recording yet by a long shot. I was just singing in the other band, not playing anything, but I had these songs that I had been wanting to try with the band. It never seemed like a good fit, so when I left them I bought a 4track and decided to make a demo of everything I had been writing. I played the drums first, then guitar, then vocals. I sat on the demo for a bit and then after a few weeks started giving them out. People seemed to dig on it and I asked a friend if he wanted to play drums for it live and he said sure. Away we went.

Where did you get the name Backwoods Payback?

--We live out in the woods and one night a bunch of us were goofing on each other, having fun. It went back and forth and eventually I said something along the lines of “You better watch it, because I will get you back. And you don’t want the kind of payback that coming from out here!”  I played that demo for a friend later that week and when he asked what I was going to call it, Backwoods Payback just came out.

Backwoods Payback covers quite a bit of miles when you tour, and Backwoods Payback spends a good deal of time supporting your releases. How does Jessica handle being on the road with a bunch of dudes?

--Shes tough man. She holds her own in just about any situation. We aren’t boys or girls out there, we are just 1 unit.

Does someone in the band come up with the bands art work and merch designs?

--I do a lot of that and our good friend Wyatt who used to play in the band Electric Horsemen has done a lot of art for us as well. He really helped define a style or look for the band releases early on.

 Backwoods Payback has toured all over the US, if I were a betting man, I would bet that you must have seen some crazy stuff... What's the craziest thing you've seen while on tour?

--Man, I don’t know. Sometimes I feel like I’ve seen too much. Sometimes I feel like I haven’t seen shit! Off the top of my head, nothing is really coming to mind. Sorry :(

Backwoods Payback has the great capability of sharing the stage with many bands that are various  different shades of heavy... From hard rock and stoner rock all the way to straight up doom metal. Being able to fit on such diverse shows is such a great asset to the band... why do you think this is?

--I think its that we never defined ourselves as one particular genre. We don’t pigeon hole the band when we write. Whatever we write, we let it be what it wants to be. Sometimes I wonder if it hurts us? Most of the time I think it allows us to go to places you would never expect us to go.

I feel it's because a great song, is a great song... And in my opinion Backwoods Payback writes great songs. Your music is heavy and catchy, as well as very identifiable to a blue collar, beer drinking, whiskey shootin', overdriven amp lovin' population ... Backwoods Paybacks  music has the potential of growing to appeal to an even larger base of music fans.  This point is illustrated by the show you just announced opening for Thirdeyeblind.

How the hell did that come about?!?

--Brad (the drummer for 3eb) used to be in a band called Year Long Disaster. We are great friends with those guys and toured with them A LOT, put out a split 7” together, just really became buds. When Year Long Disaster stopped doing stuff and Brad picked back up with 3eb again full time he would always let us know when he was coming through town so we could meet up (I really dig 3eb too!). Eventually he and Stephen asked why we never play together, I said I don’t know and here we are. We jammed Pittsburgh last year with them and had a blast. This time around its Atlantic City.

What would be your dream tour package?

--Backwoods Payback, Pearl Jam, Neil Young & Crazy Horse

 Where is the best food on a US tour?

--Strange Matter in Richmond VA

Who controls the music in the van on the road?

--Whoever is driving controls the tunes. Always. That’s the way of the road!

Whats been on the playlist?

--For me lately its been a total 90s hardcore rehash. H2O, Downset, VOD, and the last Kylesa record too

 I really appreciate you taking the time to do this interview, is there anything you'd like to say about Terry Funk? Just wondering.

--The Funker?! Love me some Terry Funk. Saw Terry Funk vs Sabu in a barbed wire match for the ECW Heavyweight title at the ECW arena soooooo many moons ago. Terry Funk rules.

And to finish up I have one last question... You are stuck doing 3-5 years in the clink (depending of course on good behavior) And your high paid lawyer negotiates a deal that allows you to bring five CDs with you to listen to thruout your incarceration. What CDs would they be?

--Pearl Jam…10, Neil Young…Tonights The Night, Faith No More…Angel Dust, Captain Beyond…s/t, Ice Cube…The Predator

Thanks again for your time bro! Keep up the killer work, BWP is awesome.

-Scott

Awesome contribution, thanx so much Scott !!! (Scott Harrington is THE man behind 313 Inc Artist Management and one of the talented writers of Hellride)... thanx also to Mike Cummings for being so interesting, you rule guys !!!

 https://www.facebook.com/backwoodspayback
http://www.smallstone.com/

... Friday DM Special : ETERNAL REST + BEYOND MORTAL DREAMS !!!

"Recorded and mixed by Joe Haley of Psycroptic, Australia's ETERNAL REST have crafted a beast of a debut album with "Prophetic." Equal parts crushing and ferocious, while maintaining a level of musicianship that should be applauded in a scene that's been saturated with technical overdoses and slow-plodding nightmares. For fans of Immolation, Psycroptic and Martyr..."

https://www.facebook.com/eternalrestband

Deepsend Store
http://www.deepsend.com/?page=5&id=2969

 

"Based out of Adelaide, Australia, BEYOND MORTAL DREAMS’ EP Dreaming Death unearths savage incarnation of death metal darkness. Expect a merciless blast of desolate bestiality and epic devastation hitting hard on all frontiers. As cliché as that sounds, this is the real deal, kids. At only four songs long, this EP proved dynamite comes in small packages; it’s overflowing with creativity, skill and own vision of how death metal brutality should sound. It’s the understanding to the aesthetics of the genre going hand in hand with undeniable talent that allowed BEYOND MORTAL DREAMS to create such an unrestrained sonic assault.

Dreaming Death, originally released by the band as an MCD in 2012, stood out as one of the best death metal releases of the past year. The material is now getting a 12” MLP vinyl treatment via Lavadome Productions. The release has been specially mastered for vinyl and comes pressed on oxblood, one-sided 12” wax with pentagram etching on the blank side. Limited to 350 copies, Dreaming Death will be out in May. Digital downloads to be made available through major retailers.

Watch out for upcoming BEYOND MORTAL DREAMS releases via Lavadome including a 7” EP containing one new and one re-recorded song and a full-length album later this year as well!"

www.facebook.com/beyondmortaldreams
www.beyondmortaldreams.bandcamp.com
www.lavadome.org

... SIDEBURN "IV Monument" (Album Review)

Transubstans are churning out records like crazy, surfing on the wave of renewed interest in traditional Rock which they themselves in part have stirred. The label's countrymates Sideburn (no, it's not the long-standing group from Switzerland with the same name) are not new to the scene though, handing in their - of course - fourth album "IV Monument" on their tenth anniversary.

What you get is nine times the usual fare, which is by no means meant derogatory; Sideburn go through all the motions from hard-grooving (and hardly boring) Sabbath-worship during programmatic opener "Diamonds" and the nastily sluggish "The Last Day" (dig these shrill interjections, harking back to - of all people - Dimebag Darrell) to halfway modern or rather timeless, riffy material such as "Bring Down The Rain", which is topped of by an agile bass to boot. With the playful title track put at the end, the quartet also show an inclination towards structures established by seminal Prog bands from the seventies. 

Apart from Jani Katajas expected Ozzy-isms, the guitarist is above par as a lead singer, allowing the band to consciously drift away from your average mewling, whining dope smoker mistaking his mic for a bong.
"Fire And Water" is no Free-cover, yet a slow blues all the same, just as "Tomorrows Dream" is an original by the band and displays not so much their creativity when it comes to song titles but a talent for almost Lizzy-esque double leads - also thanks to Morgan Zocek's excellent fretwork.

Among this reviewers favourites are the mournful epic "Crossing The Lines", folksy "Silverwing" as a veritable Led Zeppelin rip-off and the partly crushing, partly woeful "The Saviour", which darkens the tone significantly come the last third of the album. This said, "IV Monument" is, of course, no re-invention of either wheel or steel, but a surprisingly diverse album within the given style, consisting of nifty compositions and heartfelt emotions. To drop some names, let's put Sideburn just next to their neighbours Thalamus and The Quill.

words by Andreas Schiffmann

http://www.transubstans.com/

https://www.facebook.com/sideburnswedenfanpage

... IN THE COMPANY OF SERPENTS : Exclusive Infos and Cover of NEW Album revealed !!!

Finally here we get some good and concrete news about one of T.o.P.'s truest followers most anticipated Albums of 2013 :-) I'm speaking about the sophomore Album of Denver's crushing masters IN THE COMPANY OF SERPENTS !!!

After their awesome debut, Grant and Joseph got back in the studio earlier this year and are now about to unleash their new effort... Let's read what Grant (Guit/voc) has yet to say about it :

"The album title is "of the flock" and we'll be self-releasing it. We were approached by a couple of independent labels, but they didn't really offer us anything we weren't already doing in-house. Some of the song titles are still being finalized, but the ones that are done for sure are "Craven", "Of the Flock" and "Blood from Stone". There are an additional 3 tracks on the record, two of which are instrumental intros, and the 3rd is an 8 minute dirge in drop G tuning. We still need to find a name for that one."

Here's the front-cover :

Grant adds about this : "There's going to be a lot more to the packaging than this as well. We're having black envelopes made with another design on them, and these will contain the actual record. I'm also getting a custom signet ring made with the ITCOS sigil on it, and we'll be using that to create wax seals to close these envelopes."

Finally, here's a short teaser, enjoy !!!


                            


https://www.facebook.com/InTheComapanyOfSerpents

No need to say I'll come back more in depth on ITCOS as soon as I get this venomous masterpiece in hands ... meanwhile don't forget their infectious debut (one of  last year's best albums) and amazing T-shirt  still available through Bandcamp.



... HEAVY DAYS IN DOOMTOWN II -Copenhagen, May 2013- : LIVE REPORT !!!

DAY 1 : Freshly arrived in Copenhagen, after a quick stop at the hostel with the almighty Mikael Olofsson and a pretty long time finding Christiania for some good weed, here we are -just in time for the beginning of HIGH PRIEST OF SATURN. Stengade is a really nice venue, a bit smaller than what I'd thought but perfect for this 1st night's round-up and the performance of this hypnotic Stoner/Doom band (their 1st outside Norway).

Vocals by Merrethe are beautifully ethereal and Martin Severtse prooves right-away that he'll be one of the best composers of the festival and it'll be more than a simple bonus to see him with his other band RESONAUT on the last day, also guitarist and compositor he sings too in this one and it sounds more classical-like Stoner/Sludge  but confirms too his taste for psyched-out sounds... HIGH PRIEST OF SATURN  is definitely more Doom and Heavy Rock oriented and their present set is already a highlight of the fest which starts awesomely ... I guess the guy on organ was here the same than the one playing on the CD, so maybe the band is now a steady quatuor, this organ brings really dominating 70's vibes and makes the overall atmosphere faithful to their brillant debut which is integrally played for everyone's greatest pleasure, along with a Pink Floyd cover ("Simple Life") !

                                                

HUATA : I had been half convinced by the performance of french droning wizards of Doom at last year's Roadburn, a bit hesitant and not as cohesive as tonight that's for sure. But a rich year for the band has passed in between and the guys are a lot more stronger and confident , being now a steady line-up boosted by evocative praise from a great part of the underground and it looks like tonight quite many people are waiting for their peformance which they won't regret any second !!!

The introduction to their fuzz ritual ceremony "An Alarc'h" is sung in breton by Ronan, this sounds awesome - like sacred words, invoking the gathering of all disciples. Everyone's is perfectly tuned, serene and concentrated and Ronan 's voice reaches at several times stunning peaks of dramatic and painful screams. Both songs from "The Atavist of Mann" coming after are cleverly coupled and make the first part of the gig very energic and captivating.
"The Solar Works" is an unreleased song which is for the first time played here in Copenhagen, quite logical considering that it was originally planed to appear on the compilation album of the festival which sadly  didn't finally saw the light of day ! HUATA will now release this song on a stricly limited to 100 copies 3"" CD (homemade) and this will be only available on their forthcoming tour later this month (watch out for all dates infos on their FB)... This song is a perfect bridge to the linked duo "The Retaliator" / "Hercolobus" which (for those who don't have heard it yet) is the integrality of HUATA's side on the split album with their dutch buddies BITCHO... And, under a lot of subjuguated eyes, here is revealed the new dimension that the breton band has now taken, a lot more personnal in everything should i say ! more droning, menacing and hammering, more spacey, tight and audacious too !!! The atmosphere is almost trance-inducing and the band definitely wins everybody's attention until the very last notes of a really memorable set. Hats off guys \m/

On first floor, there's some arts and merchandise, also a large place with good seats where all kind of smoking is allowed, which is cool because it's a bit cold outside to tell the truth, I feel some degrees missing in the north !

HEXVESSEL are definitely not my cup of tea and the scene is certainly too small for such a dense collective of sounds, I listen a part of it and still feel sorry for them to see that a good part of the audience is leaving little by little the place before the end, a bit like what happened to HUATA last year at Roadburn, for different reasons though but the truth of the day is not obviously the same on tomorrow.

DAY 2  starts with TONER LOW , the dutch trio is hunger of playing live (after a long time of inactivity) and full of positive vibes to present their new album "III" through a killer set filled with some of the heaviest psyched-out Stoner/Doom around ! This new album is a must-have.

ALUNAH will be a very special moment, there's a wide variety of heavy sounds displayed during these 4 days but none  like this full hour of tasty UK Doom... The easiness of Dave Day on guitar is very impressive, the guy is majestic in its playing and attitude, damn crushing and so serene at the same time... Soph doesn't count her efforts and looks pretty excited, maybe the flow and tone of her vocals could be more ultimately accurated on stage but she's a great frontwoman and the setlist is just fantastic with five songs of "White Hoarhound" and two from the "Call of Avernus" debut album and ... "Oak Ritual" is one of the best songs I'll hear in the week-end, mighty doom riffs with earthy psychedelic soundscapes and to end on the crushing pagan Doom of "Belial's Fjord" was awesome,  a very very good set !

Next hour will be necessary to eat something and all I can say is that the food for sale is pretty good, that veg hamburger was a 1st try for me but won't remain the only one in the following days... My diabete deplores the absence of light sodas (not on the 1st day's place) and just normal bottle of waters but I'll be more organized later and must admit I feel so well that I'm lazy to cross the street and buy something at the close supermarket...

It's so nice to meet Sarah MsSabbath Eriksonn, Michael Strandell, Kees de Vries, Thomas Iommi, Abbe Loud, also get to know some cool new faces (special mention to Melinda and Niklas) and really a memorable blast to share those great moments with especially my friends of HUATA, still present - until they leave by sunday morning - like a lot of bands who stay 2 - 3 or 4 days, enjoying this awesome festival as much as they can... great discussions, topless weed, cocktails, laughs, rabbit red-eyes, HIGH and LOW moments, fuckin HEAVY sounds... we all enjoy our time here and are definitely in a very special dimension !

Already 20:00, let's find a decent place (at the extreme right of the scene) for the ceremonial set of SATURNALIA TEMPLE, just nearby Mikael Oloffson who carefully takes care of encens for the band which subtly enhance the magic of the moments to come... I regret to not have more carefully listen their stuff before but can still make the title track of the album "Aion of Drakon" my peak of the gig - as this is the only song I admit to really know ! The hypnotic and ritualistic vibes are tightly delivered through fuzzy and ultra heavy - from bizarre to sinister - riffage blended with groovy wah-wah guitars.

Of course Tommie (guit/voc) catches the attention, including with his unique druggy-effected vocals, but his two buddies are not on rest at all, infectious and pulsating, definitely those swedes really overcome themselves ! 

In the end I reckon I'm just a wimp not to have given more attention to S.T. before (despite the numerous incentive comments of Mikael), this band rips and obviously even more if your really into the occult ;) which is not my case at all but there's a real identity richly layered which deserves a different and deeper than usual approach to their sound.

Just a few minutes to come back quickly at the main stage for PROCESSION... The hall is already densely packed so I decide to watch this one from the balcony which is a nice way to get to see differently a gig.

The originally chilean but now swedish-based band is probably the most METAL band from the whole line-up of the fest and it's a kind of fresh air which embrace the whole audience; this is exactly the kind of band that remind -if necessary- that about 90% of the people present are before anything else composed of Metallers !!! the band is perfectly cohesive and Felipe embraces the frontman costume with just enough charism and sense of humor to get the sympathy of everyone at each of his intervention, it's not that he's extremly talkative but he often places a few good words and that's a good change among all those stoned bands who seriously lack of communicative words with their fans during their show !!!

The guys have freshly released their new album and wide-eyed, we can now delight of awesome Epic Doom with  "To Reap Heavens Apart" or  "Conjurer", maliciously, the setlist is also composed of what we can already  consider as old classics from the band like "Raven of Disease", "Like a Plague Upon the Earth" or "Destroyers of the Faith"... This was the 1st time I saw Procession on stage and I'm already impatient to see them next month again at Hellfest :)

CONAN was next on this stage, lots of people were looking after this show, and as it seems a kind of trademark from them - the sound is immensely loud and hammering. Vocals are punishing and the atmosphere truly agonizing, I quickly decide to go outside, soon joined one by one by haggard buddies ! 

Next playing BELZEBONG  will be far more accessible, hahaha ! Still raw and filthy with nice southern hints,  but more musical and diversified than many others from their category, the polish dudes prove to have a very good experience of the scene and not just weedy sounds (and smokes) to share with their fans but also a sick communicative energy !

SAMOTHRACE was another of those unexpected jewels that the organization managed to propose for the Heavy Days, their 1st gig ever in Europe (and the 1st of their tour) under the sign of "Reverence to Stone" logically played in its entirety with its two epic songs "A Horse of Our Own" and "When We Emerged", while  I guess two slightly shorter songs from "Life's Trade" complete the set.

The sound is collosal, nicely balanced, and the extremly heavy style of the band crushes my last neurons surviving from this memorable day ! The ambient and so peaceful parts are more or less developed according to the songs, they bring a kind of (uncertain) relief and push the band further the classical (Post) doom melodic soundscapes. The scene is well occupied with Spinks on the left, Desmond (bass) in the middle and Castagna on the right - rather discreet but she's not in rest for some sick riffs !  Spinks sings a bit like Brent Anderson from Order of the Owl (ex Sourvein), stooping (and even almost seated on a song) to get the most tortured vocals, rough and hopeless, those roars can freeze your blood. The music of SAMOTHRACE is mournful, yet dynamic and captivating, and everything in this gig - from the music of course, to the band's attitude and lights (not always the case during the week-end to say the truth) was a real purposeful performance, thanx guys !

Watch VIDEO of DAY 02 : here

DAY 3 starts for me with DANAVA on the main stage, a difficult set from the beginning with technical problems but the nasty US Heavy Rockers finally start and little by little, with speeded-up versions of songs from "Hemisphere of Shadows", everybody get into it... until the soundboard fucked-up everything ! Just 3 songs and after about 15 minutes of interruption, it's with great sadness that I consider their appearance at the fest closed...   But it's with immense anger that I'll learn that they played about half an hour later in the Dödsmakinen (2nd stage) while quite many people were not aware of it ! a serious mistake in the communication of the orga team ... Oh well, luckily I had already seen Danava at Roadburn last year !

PAGAN ALTAR are next band for me on the main stage and it'll be easily my highlight of this saturday, the setlist is just perfect : "Pagan Altar", "Judgement of the Dead", "Cry of the Banshee", "Walking in the Dark", "The Rising of the Dark Lord", "The Aftermath"... Terry Jones voice is great, yet it could have been certainly better if the valorous guy didn't caught a disturbing cold which forced him to drink frequently water ! But the set is captivating with an Alan Jones in top form, twisting, twirling and having fun with a funny hat with England colors. Motivation, experience, great musicianship... those guys are maybe the oldest musicians of the fest but have plainly justified their reputation of CULT band !  

And what about some Funeral Death/Doom  now with MOURNFUL CONCREGATION ? Ah, definitely this programmation kills and there's even other bands which I regret not to take more than a few minutes to see (COUGH, LECHEROUS GAZE and their completely drunk singer, yet spiting good punkish vocals!)

The aussie band is used to come in Europe and looks like at home on this stage, one hour of pure relentless grief. To have all those four guys aligned with obscure lights and delivering their uncompromising pieces of slow and despaired art was something pretty impressive (and again the balcony was great for this set) !

I end this third day with GRAVES AT SEA  who gave here a punishing lesson of raw Sludge. I've rarely seen something so heavy and brutal at the same time and their friends (including Samothrace guys) nearby the stage were pretty much bringing forces to their assault with furious stage-diving and slaming... Nothing disagreeable during 10-15 minutes, impressively brutal and funny at some point but I think we're all tired and we decide it's time go sleepin' !!!

Watch VIDEO of DAY 03 : here

DAY 4  : It's sunday and to tell the truth I've seen already all the bands I really wanted to see in the first 3 days but a fest is also nice to try take time to discover new bands   and SEREMONIA from Finland is aptly starting on a ceremonial tone the last episode of this successfull 2nd edition. The native language vocals help make their fuzzy progressive Stoner/Doom pretty interesting, sounds a bit like Jex Thoth, all enveloped in a dark and esoteric mood... Another great band on Svart rds to explore !

Another one on Svart rds (and also Finnish) present today is DARK BUDDHA RISING who've played  a very distinctive performance, visually of course but musically they were maybe the noiseist act from all !

Their studio stuff is a lot more accessible in my opinion cause even if atmospheres are regularly shifted from the heaviest to some more psychedelic trippy sounds and dark ambient moods, all vocals are here almost just pure noise tortured-like growls  which are pretty hard to bear and make some songs too confused to be captivating all along... Yet it's been interesting to get to see such a droning psychedelic noise band on stage !

Despite the more and more felt tiredness, I'm really happy to see KADAVAR for the 1st time on stage in such great conditions and the german trio quickly shows that it is now a very experimented Live band, assured and mature, after various Tours in Europe and America over the past year...

With their freshly released sophomore album "Abra Kadavar", the guys have now more choice to compose a full setlist and logically blend new songs ("Doomsday Machine", "Eye of the Storm", the excellent "Come Back Life"...) with old ones - including "Living in my Head", "Purple Sage" or "Creature of the Demon" as essential hits...

The overall is powerful and heavy and this set is a perfect conclusion to this fest for me with this amazing Psychedelic Heavy-Rock; certainly not just only organic as one could have thought, occasionally stomping or spacey, Lindemann just perfectly knows how to shift around heady and vintage vibes and this new album is in my opinion a lot more consistent and even original than what have recently released all their retro-colleagues on Nuclear Blast.... 

I prefer not to think about the so boring vocals of MOSS and consider that my last good moments came from ORESUND SPACE COLLECTIVE (including Tom Sutton - ex Church of Misery) and their extra-extended set (they were the last band playing on stage 2) filled with very heavy guitars jamming and electronic psychedelica ! 

The festival is over by now and already my head boils with dozens of images and sounds accumulated in my smoky mind during the 4 last days ! I feel that musically Roadburn 2011 was maybe more memorable with its crazy line-up (Candlemass playing "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus" with the original singer, The Gates Of Slumber, Blood Farmers, Count Raven, etc...) but this 2nd edition of The HEAVY DAYS IN DOOMTOWN was remarkable on so many points : organisation, line-up, timing, food quality and prices, general atmosphere, DIY ethic, nice place given to visual arts (see last picture as a good example), etc...not forgetting a pretty nice city to visit beside (not the case of Tilburg ! and I will always pass on the abusively expensive London !!!) the ridiculous price of 55 Euros for the ticket with a T-shirt and 2 posters included -  that in the end, I've got the feeling that  it is the BEST festival I've ever done !!!

I don't know how the HDDT will evolve after such a successfull edition, it could be quickly limited in terms of capacity or a relocation will be necessary which would kinda suck because the site is awesome ! Anyway, it is highly recommended and  has definitely everything to become your new annual pilgrimage... and shit it's agreeable to already dream of other killer bands to possibly come within the next years like Archon, Ice Dragon, Stone Magnum, Curse The Son or In The company Of Serpents... just to name a few yankees I would dig to see on the old continent ;)