... the masters of Texas RIFFage are back : WO FAT "the Black Code"

There has been a lot of STONER bands featured in the blog over the past weeks, some good surprises, some others just average and/or pretty unoriginal...  Listening to the new 4th album of  WO FAT puts you necessarily in the highest category, the kind of band that helps reviving the flame when you feel ponderosity coming;  no disappointment possible, the menu is  guaranted full of sheer heaviness, bluesy groove and blistering psychedelism  !!!

What is each time delightful with this awesome trio is their fantastic heaviness, always valued equally (which means immensely !) despite a constant evolution from album to album with an evergrowing musical interaction and development on a  "keep it authentic sonically" basis.

"The Black Code" contains five songs, like for "Noche del Chupacabra", and is the first release of the band for Small Stone records, a relation that should be harmonious and this time made to last... Where this last album was particularly swampy and cryptic, this new one still evokes the obscure but is accentuated in the mysterious and unknown, reaching a cosmic dimension (not just suggested by the amazing cover!).

 

WO FAT favor more than ever grooviness and 70's inspired fuzzy jams and this quickly gives the neat impression that you've got here a real grower, each listening revealing more in depth subtle running bass lines, thunderous drums or mindblowing riffage.

Songs like "the black code" and the wonderful closer "sleep of the black lotus" are avalanches of mindblowing psychedelia and heaviness mixed together. Vocals are warm and gritty, perfectly in tune with a top-notch musicianship.

"hurt at gone" has a nice boogie southern touch which if necessary reminds that those guys come from Texas and have learnt out a lot from the high voltaged Heavy Rock of the late 70's.

The 4th song "the shard of leng" is a bit different from the rest, maybe not as unbridled and exciting at first, the band explores  new galactic horizons in its first part which is a great breath in this burning journey, then it  growes on you with rising tension and heaviness to end with some heady and amazing fuzziness.
 

WO FAT likes it heavy, in  a stunning fluidity, full of twists and turns that regularly make you wonder if those guys are effectively a trio or a quintet !!!  in that sense they could sometimes remind an heavier and doomier cousin of The Atomic Bitchwax.

 

It's certainly "Noche del Chupacabra" that convinced the Roadburn team to make WO FAT a leading guest at next edition, but I'm sure that "The Black Code" confirms even beyond their expectations that their performance will be one of the highlights of 2013 ! Now let's hope that a proper European tour is planed too, so that not just a too limited number of privileged fans can experience live this fabulous band... I vote firmly for an ELDER / WO FAT european tour next April, this would be the most exciting package imaginable !!!

 

 

http://www.smallstone.com/

https://www.facebook.com/smallstonerecords

http://smallstone.bandcamp.com/album/the-black-code
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wo-Fat/127735577283067

... FEUERZEUG "Dead Wahines and Tsunamis" - album review -

The legacy of Kyuss has stretched far and  wide, their vast, sun-baked riffery touching the hearts and minds of millions across the globe. Switzerland’s Feuerzeug are evidently no stranger to the desert rock sound, and their second record finds them tuning down and grooving along with a righteous enthusiasm for their craft, even if their imagination doesn’t quite match up to their energy levels.

There are some fine riffs on offer here, with ‘Landkreuzer’ churning out a number of belters that sound like Queens Of The Stone Age strung out on bath salts and ‘Evel Knievel Has Kissed the Devil’ tucking into a funky little groove that brings to mind Brant Bjork’s more laidback excursions. The drummer’s tight double kick fills accentuate the stoner rock riffs nicely, making them seem fresh and energetic. The vocalist almost sounds like Ingmar from Beehoover attempting his best John Garcia impression over a slightly temperamental phone line. He does a good job for the most part, despite a few slightly too saccharine choruses rearing their heads from time to time.

Unfortunately the band aren’t able to maintain their momentum throughout the entire album, and seeing as the record stands at a good 70 minutes it feels as though they should have exercised a bit more quality control. There are a couple of clichéd moments that sound a little tired, like the not-as-adrenalin-pumping-as-it-wants-to-be pseudo raucousness of ‘Nitroghostcar’, but for every dud they throw out, the band manage to win back the listener’s favour with some muscular fuzz worship and, towards the latter half of the record, more spacious and colourful jams (check out the angular, Soundgarden-esque riffs and extended psychedelic coda in the album’s lengthy centrepiece ‘Release The Kraken’). It’s here where the band really shine, with the hazy climax of ‘Kometa’ standing tall as a firm highlight.

An earnest combination of QOTSA riffery with Fu Manchu-style grooves and the occasional Kyuss psych session, ‘Dead Wahines and Tsunamis’ is a record that’s impossible to dislike but hard to love. Desert rock junkies will have a blast cranking this up with some beers and buds during BBQ season, but the band have some work to do before they’re able to scale the same transcendental heights as their idols. On the basis of this album though, they’re certainly on the right path.

 

 - words by Kez Whelan -

 

 

 

https://www.facebook.com/fzband

...Figures in black will reign supreme: BEDEMON’s ‘Symphony of Shadows’

Disappointment is nothing more than dashed expectations. While 2012 has been a killer year for doom releases, there have still been a handful of high profile albums that have not lived up to expectations primarily due to sharp shifts in songwriting, production, or overall modus operandi. Enter Bedemon, a recording project that has existed primarily as a curiosity due to its affiliation and shared personnel with Bobby Leibling’s doom revanent, Pentagram. To be honest, when I heard that Bedemon’s ‘Symphony of Shadows’—an album at least ten years in the making—was finally going to see the light of day my anticipation level was less than zero. The ‘Child of Darkness’ recordings were an oddity of excellent, albeit incomplete ideas that were hopelessly marred, as many basement recording projects are, by terribly thin production. Another factor complicating the completion and ultimate release of ‘Symphony of Shadows’ was the untimely death of Bedemon’s doom visionary and head guru, Randy Palmer. Surviving members Geof O’Keefe, Mike Matthews, and new vocalist Craig Junghandel were left to pick up the pieces, build on Randy’s ideas, and finish the album while trying to remain true to the spirit of Bedemon and their deceased friend. What could have easily of ended up as a disaster has in fact turned into one of the best surprises of the year. Regardless of Pentagram/Bedemon history, ‘Symphony of Shadows’ stands on its own as one of the strongest releases of the year primarily due to its seamless mix of old school doom, hard rock, and punk.

 

 

Album opener “Saviour” is a dark meditation on the abuse of power, the spoiling of innocence, and the ultimate aberrance associated with modern day religion, particularly the Catholic Church. What could have merely been a straight-forward rocker is accented and darkened with chorus chants, superb lead playing courtesy of O’Keefe, and a diabolical vocal delivery of Junghandel. Musically the following track “Lord of Desolation” is doomier than the album opener and the track is really carried along by Matthews’ bass playing and the occasional gong crash while providing the album’s most memorable mantra “Figures in black will reign supreme/No one wakes from this infernal dream” delivered by Junghandel in a sinister whisper. “Son of Darkness”, arguably the strongest track on the album, is an up-tempo doom masterpiece that channels the best of ‘Master of Reality’ era Sabbath without resorting to mere emulation. In the album’s liner notes O’Keefe claims that “Son of Darkness” is the ultimate collaborative effort of the band members and it shows by highlighting the individual talents of every member.

 

 

“The Plague” slows things down a bit compared to the energy of “Son of Darkness”, but the song is no less effective in grabbing the listener’s attention. Again, Matthews’ bass playing really carriers the tune along with some atmospheric guitar strums and blistering guitar leads to close out the tune. “D.E.D” falls on the hard rock end of the spectrum compared to a majority of the tracks on ‘Symphony of Shadows”. While it wouldn’t be fair to call “D.E.D.” filler material, it simply doesn’t have the impact as the rest of the tracks on the album. If “D.E.D.” is the album’s weak spot, “Kill You Now”is the ill-fitting bastard child that somehow manages to work. While the tune isn’t nearly as hard-hitting or raw as “Search and Destroy”, it does seem to channel the best of Iggy and the Stooges with its lyrics, punk-inspired riffing, and handclaps. After the detour of “D.E.D.” and “Kill You Now” the album returns to the realm of doom with“Godless”, another solid slab of doom-tinged hard rock as is the following track, “Hopeless”. Album closer “Eternally Unhuman” aptly closes out the album for its last two minutes alone. The repetitive recitation of “Nothing will ever be the same” accompanied by screams as the music fades out is nothing short of chilling.

 

 

It’s difficult to say how ‘Symphony of Shadows’ would have sounded with the continual involvement of Randy Palmer to its ultimate conclusion, but it would be hard to imagine that he could possibly be disappointed with the finished product as completed under the supervision and care of his bandmates and friends. ‘Symphony of Shadows’ is a welcome surprise with its grim lyrical content, chants, doom riffs, and tremendous bass playing. Despite the mix of doom, rock, and punk, each one of these tracks are stamped with a distinct, infectious, unifying sound. It’s sad to know that Randy’s genius is lost to the music world, but this collection of songs—finished posthumously—is an admirable legacy. Based on the strength of all of the players it is hoped that these musicians will continue on, in some form, to bestow their brand of doom metal on their fans.

 

words by Steve Miller

 

http://www.facebook.com/bedemondoom
http://bedemon.com/
http://www.svartrecords.com
 

 

 

... 3 way split lp WaterWays/Sons of Alpha Centauri/Hotel Wrecking City Traders !!!

After the amazing collaboration between Gary Arce (Yawning Man) and Hotel Wrecking City Traders materialized by an excellent 12 inch vynil last year, Bro Fidelity rds is about to release a 3 way split lp with WaterWays (usa), Sons of Alpha Centauri (uk) and Hotel Wrecking City Traders (aus)... 

Three different bands but a same taste for dark and beautiful soundscapes, from ambient Desert rock to fuzzy psychedelic Stoner.

I've been especially impressed by WaterWays which I never heard priorly but will follow with attention in the future, Abby Travis voice is stunning ! S.O.A.C. and H.W.C.T. confirm here their high potencial, there's just a slight regret that both of them have only one song each here, whereas WW have four... But the most important is perfectly achieved : this is a very special and essential release !!!

European release – Sons of Alpha Centauri (blue)
European release cover artwork by Alex Von Wieding comes with exclusive silkscreen print on the inside cover from Greasyspoon
Gallery Wieding and an additional CD, featuring all of the tracks on Mp3
The first 25 copies will also receive a poster from the 'Yawning Sons' / 'WaterWays' 7” (original released on SpaceAge & Cheesecake
Records) and PR insert sheet for the BroFi007 release on aqua blue paper.

American release – WaterWays (red)
American release cover artwork by Alex Von Wieding comes with an additional CD, featuring all of the tracks on Mp3 (limited to first 25 copies)

Australasia release – Hotel Wrecking City Traders (yellow)
Australasia release cover artwork by Alex Von Wieding comes with an additional CD featuring all of the tracks on Mp3 . The first 50 copies will also receive an additional limited edition poster from the archives plus HWCT's rare 'Somer / Wantok' 7 inch

All versions are numbered and stamped with shiny informative sticker on the front.
Presented on 180 gramme heavyweight tricolour vinyl (1/3 blood red, 1/3 piss yellow, 1/3 sea blue) and specifically mastered for vinyl at Ranscombe Studios, Rochester, Kent.

Southern California's ‘Waterways' darkly beautiful rock music is the result of a long over due collaboration of old friends rich with shared musical history.

Gary Arce (Yawning Man, Sort of Quartet, Ten East, Dark Tooth Encounter)
Abby Travis (Abby Travis Band, Masters of Reality, Eagles of Death Metal, The Bangles...)
Mario Lalli (Yawning Man, Fatso Jetson, Desert Sessions)
Tony Tornay (Fatso Jetson, Deep Dark Robot)

Gary Arce & Mario Lalli have literally grown up playing and writing music together. ‘Yawning Man’
founded in 1987 by Arce, Lalli and Alfredo Henandez developed their signature sound with endless desert jam sessions amid the cactus and dirt bike trails. Tony Tornay and Mario Lalli have been playing for the last 16 years in ‘Fatso Jetson’. ‘

Abby Travis’ and Mario first met over 25 years ago when Mario and her brother David Travis organized the now legendary outdoor generator parties in Los Angeles and Palm Springs. Mario's early band ‘Across the River’ played Abby's 16th Birthday partyback when she was in ‘The Lovedolls’.
Abby looked to the bleak yet endearing characters hidden in the Southern California desert’s underbelly. From this comes her visionary haunted folk tales of the new west dusted with drug lab dreamscapes and suburban legends. She draws inspiration from the dark thunderous reverberation of Gary Arce and Mario Lalli's signature guitar work and cinematic soundscapes. The result is an album of intriguing shadows and bursts of light. While Yawning Man's music as well as the eclectic work of Abby Travis can be used for reference to the sound of this project, it only points you towards the indescribable sights and sounds of ‘Waterways’!

https://www.facebook.com/waterwaysofficial

'Hotel Wrecking City Traders' are a duo of Australian brothers specializing in heavy noise explorations and progressive, gargantuan beats. Occupying their own space with their hypnotic, ever-evolving pieces of crushing dirge and rhythm. Their cosmic sonic movements often dusted with moments of sublime melody and ambience.

Their contribution to this gem like vinyl is the track 'Pulmo Victus' - a chilled but explorative passage designed to roam the minds of the intoxicated and centered around a single tracked guitar loop recorded entirely live and without overdubs.
Having played on the live circuit with all kinds of musical heavyweights the 'Hotel Wrecking City Traders' invite you to come and stay in their tripped out fuzz hotel and bliss out to this 9 minute masterpiece and return to earth a spiritually atoned person!
The sun-baked Aussie 'Hotel Wrecking City Traders' deliver yet another fine slab of new noise with an exclusive track only available on this 'rare as Pegasus' shit 12" bought to you especially by 'Bro Fidelity'.

https://www.facebook.com/hotelwreckingcitytraders 

http://hotelwreckingcitytraders.bandcamp.com/

 'Sons of Alpha Centauri' shall be presenting a true rarity from their vaults with a track recorded during the sessions from their debut album ‘Sons of Alpha Centauri’ released on ‘Sound Devastation Records’ in 2007.
This eight-minute masterpiece was allegedly meant to be the centrepiece of the debut but was too long to feature! Now having been re-mastered for vinyl at the ‘Ranscombe Studios’ where it was recorded it sounds as fresh now as the day it was recorded calling on influences and sounds as far reaching and wide ranging as ever from the genre defying instrumental rock pioneers!
‘27’ transcends styles, salivates anticipation ahead of the bands forthcoming second album currently in pre-production and is a stunning reminder of why ‘Sons of Alpha Centauri’ established themselves with the pioneers in instrumental music presented as always in a premier packaged deluxe presentation.

https://www.facebook.com/sonsofalphacentauri

https://www.facebook.com/brofidelityrecords

http://www.brofidelity.blogspot.com.au/

"Hey Steve, any good news about KINGS DESTROY ?!!! "

If there's a new release that I'm particularly looking forward to, this is the 2nd album from NYC doomsters KINGS DESTROY... Most probably out in early 2013 now, the follower of  "all the rest will surely perish" is actually in its ultimate recording works and this - added to their recent 1st european tour and exciting upcoming gigs -  needed a bit more of informations !!!

What follows is not exactly a normal interview, it's just a few questions I asked  to vocalist Steve Murphy in one of our conversations on FB and that, as friendly as usual, he agreed to share... but  in case you missed the intie I did with him last year, the link is HERE. Watch out for KINGS DESTROY !!!

 

 

 

How did you enjoy this 1st european tour this summer (with Rosetta) ? what have been your highlights ?

1st tour went really well---17 shows in 19 days in 13 countries. Every show we got a warm welcome even though most people had never heard of us. Unlike a lot of other bands in the genre, we actually are pretty active onstage and I think people responded to it.


How is it going with the recording of the new album ? do you have contacts with labels to release it ?

Recording has gone really well. We're recording with Sanford Parker again. This time David Bottrill (Tool, King Crimson etc) will be mixing the album. We recorded basic tracks at Applehead Studio in Woodstock NY and are finishing tracks at a Studio in Williamsburg. We are very happy with the sounds we've gotten so far and we have 4 labels interested in hearing it. Its def. a progression off of the first album and we have spent 2 years writing this one.



How was your gig with Pallbearer and Royal Thunder last week-end ? which are next ones planed ?

 

GIG with Pallbearer etc was great, the sound at the Knitting Factory is excellent and the gig was sold out. its amazing to me that heavy music like that can sell out a 300+ venue in NYC. Its been a long time since thats happened.

We have a weekend of gigs coming up with our friends Black Pyramid and Clamfight which we are excited about. Nov 9 at Union Pool in Brooklyn, Nov 10 at Montys Krown in Rochester and Nov 11 at Obriens in Boston.
 

https://www.facebook.com/KingsDestroy

... a fate of (future) leader : GENERAL "where are you gods now?"

Coming from Coventry, here's GENERAL, one of UK's hottest new bands and "Where are your Gods Now" is their debut album freshly released on Catacomb Rds...

Recorded by Greg Chandler (Serpentcult, Moss, Alunah) and mastered by Billy Anderson (Acid King, Cathedral, Orange Goblin, Eyehategod), this quintet plays some very interesting Stoner/Heavy Rock that takes influences in Clutch, Kyuss, Monster Magnet and Orange Goblin (not just to cite a more local name...).

I would say that quite logically, especially considering this is a 1st album, you won't find in here many surprises but there's no boring songs at all and if heaviness, catchiness and tightness prevail like here, don't you think then that 95% of the job is done?!!! Towards those 3 major ingredients, there's a real sense of completion about this debut album and this gives also serious hopes for the future; there's so many many bands playing Stoner nowadays and too often so generic (is John Garcia the most clowned guy on earth ?) that it's yet almost a feat to be able to feel that GENERAL has a potencial that goes way beyond 99% of those bands !!!

The memorable vocals of Graham Stokes are as essential as the catchiness and massive 70's influenced guitar riffs; some doomy or sludgy elements can be introduced here and there, bringing haunting and dirtier hints to an identity that never sound too polished, even in the quieter moments.

I've a preference for three or four tracks that stand out like "Bullet Train", "Monkey City", "Make or Breakdown" but the overall is solid with a constant infusion of straight in your face and groovy riffage that believe me guarantees real good times of headbanging entertainement !!!

www.catacomb-records.co.uk

www.catacombrecords.bigcartel.com
https://www.facebook.com/generalHQ 

... STOIC DISSENTION "Fastidium Vita" new EP

After their fairly acclaimed debut "Senium" released about one year and a half ago, those five maniacs of STOIC DISSENTION from Denver are back with a 3 songs EP  which I hope will see some labels finally show interest in this great band. 

It's cool for everyone (bands, fans) to benefit from the easiness of releasing digitally stuff on Bandcamp or Soundcloud, but sad to see more and more bands that don't get any chance to release physically their material and if they finally do, this is too often a long time after.

As for now, let's speak about this awesome new EP that quickly shows a neat development in the band's sound and identity. Where the 1st effort was suffering from an average production, especially drums, this is something that is here perfectly mastered and allows to  fully enjoy the rythmic section's work and the subtle various transitions in the moods. 

The blackened and maniacal essence of the band remain  essential, just as that amazing bleakness and the screamed evilized vocals of Zachary, but the overall is more refined, less ugly and raw, more grandiose too, almost epic. 

Could it be in "Fastidium Vita", "The Pernicious Anoesis" or the mysterious 3rd track (untitled), the band has nicely enlarged the landscapes of its FUNERAL expression, the emotions are dense and despaired,  turning  regularly in haunting melancholy, and this concerns also the vocals which show maybe the best development. All this to the point that their depressing mixture of Black and Doom could be sometimes preceeded by the word POST, not turning into experimental or too enlightened stuff though... I would see justice and coherence if this band got signed by Profound Lore, a label who has a great number of bands that mix awesomely different genres in a distinctive way and S.D. belongs to that category !!!
This is my feeling, maybe yours could be different but one thing is sure, STOIC DISSENTION is a band that  fans of DEATHSPELL OMEGA, AHAB, ASUNDER or  ESOTERIC should support blindly and it could be a very cool surprise for other tasty blackened souls !
Watch out for further details on the release soon on their FB page.

https://www.facebook.com/stoicdissention

... while waiting for BLACK SMOKE DRAGON's "Earth Have Jaiah" : download their DEMO for free !

Coming from the celtic lands of Galicia in Spain, here's BLACK SMOKE DRAGON (could be the name of an obscure dutch weed !!!), an instrumental 4 piece consisting in Berto and LLoymi on guitars, Oskar (bass) and Álex (drums). Their 1st demo is actually available for free through Bandcamp and you should give it an attentive listen to familiarize your ears with their sound,  coz if you like your Stoner/Sludge METAL in the vein of DOWN, MASTODON with gnarly hints à la C.O.C., then "Bongfire Senorita" and "Fenechild" should quickly convince you that B.S.D. forthcoming debut album "Earth Have Jaiah"  needs to be added to your next wishlist !!! Recorded at Ferrol's Area61 Studio, this 8 songs affair will be released within the next weeks, watch out for more infos on their FB page !

www.facebook.com/blacksmokedragon.

No CALCIO today but still great Italian Stoner worth discovering : GUSTNADO and D.S.W. !!!

Indeed, there's no national championship for European soccer this week-end; no Calcio, no Liga, no 1er League... just fucking nothing on TV today for the fans of soccer, pretty rare for a Sunday ! So, this is one more reason to discover right now both STONER Italian bands below : GUSTNADO and DUST STORM WARNING  ... 

While GUSTNADO is an instrumental one-man band and "Slowdown to Survive" , the 2nd album -after "Hallucination Boulevard" in May 2011- has been released digitally last week (before an eventual physical release...), on their side D.S.W. released this self-titled a few months ago through the starting label Acid Cosmonaut Rds...

If you're into Desert like Stoner Rock with mountains of groove and a fair dose of psychedelism; enjoy those great bands from the sunny Italia !!!

 

https://www.facebook.com/Gustnadoband

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Acid-Cosmonaut-Records/216827188376577

... raised on rock - deep in space : SNAKE THURSDAY "Cruise Mode" ep

This must be the kind of music Han Solo loads up on the tape deck in the Millennium Falcon. The first thing that hits you is the guitar tone – juicy, well-rounded and heavy . Then, once the catchy, stomping grooves get you headbanging along, there’s time to notice the rock solid rhythm section, the excellent vocals (lead and backing) and the tasty solos.

I still haven’t listened to Snake Thursday’s first EP (also up on Bandcamp), but Cruise Control is absolutely bursting with songs that will have fans of classic hard rock and good time stoner metal grinning from ear to ear. The obvious desert scene influences adhere here; but there’s an added piledriving heaviness – without losing that groovy swing – that reminds me equally of Orange Goblin or Spiritual Beggars at their best. There’s even a subtle Southern tinge that places the band in the extended lineage of ZZ Top or the latter-day southern swagger of Alabama Thunderpussy.

‘Worth the time’, which switches between rowdy, uptempo verses and dreamy choruses is a highlight here, building up to some tasty guitar jamming; something tells me frontman/guitarist Marcin Sikorski has spent time shredding to the likes of Alvin Lee. Another song that instantly connected with me was ‘Deep Gravity Well’, which features some particularly delectable eastern-tinged runs in the guitar solo section.

This is definitely a release that belongs on the agenda anywhere rock n’ roll still equals the surest ticket to good times. It’s solidly crafted, performed with feeling and talent, the heaviness is authentic , the melodies work and it shouldn’t take too long to start singing along to some of these tunes.

I’d also like to mention the cover art, which is simple but brilliant and left me with vivid visions of breakneck runs along the rings of Saturn, imperial cruisers in hit pursuit while Snake Thursday’s red hot tunes pump out of the car stereo…a great package. If there’s any justice, it’ll soon be picked up by a label with decent distribution and promotion abilities.

words by Jayaprakas​h Sathyamurt​hy

www.snakethursday.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Snake-Thursday/117469384964916 

.... ARCHON - New Album "Ouroboros Collapsing" - Samples Available Now‏ !!

"Archon is a New York City based metal band whose sound blends the heaviest of psych, stoner, doom and sludge. Created in 2008 by Andrew Jude, Archon has persisted through several lineup changes. In 2010, the band self-produced its first full length record, The Ruins at Dusk (*). A collaboration of seven people, The Ruins at Dusk fused the epic atmospherics and dynamics of Electric Wizard and Neurosis while maintaining a melodic sensibility reminiscent of doom godfathers St. Vitus and Black Sabbath.
 
Since late 2010, the band has been comprised of Andrew Jude (guitar, bass), Nikhil Kamineni (bass, guitar), Rajah Marcelo (drums), Rachel Brown (vocals, synth) and Chris Dialogue (vocals, noise). In 2011 Archon toured the Northeast, and over the years has shared the stage with doom heavyweights Unearthly Trance, Coffinworm, Wolvserpent, Negative Reaction, Apostle of Solitude, Cough, Hull, Batillus, Sea of Bones, Graven and Earthride.
 
With the upcoming release of “Ouroboros Collapsing”, Archon travels further down the path of devastation, disillusion and despair by exploring the depths of self as a microcosm for all existence. The crushing riffs are still heavy as fuck, but are interlaced with more contemplative ambience. With dueling vocals ranging from death growls to clean singing, and everything in between, the sense of universal collapse will engulf you."
 
Samples from OUROBOROS COLLAPSING :

 

 

 

www.archondoom.com

https://www.facebook.com/archondoom
 

 

(*) reviewed here in case you missed it...

... Desert jams from outer space : WHEELFALL "interzone"

 
Wheelfall’s sound is hardly original but it’s worth looking past the desert rock echoes and taking this album as simply a collection of great, fuzzy jams by a group of musicians who love their chosen idiom and see no reason to reinvent the wheel. Or indeed the Wheelfall (sorry!). It helps that their songwriting seems to have evolved since their last release. In particular, the drums, which sometimes seemed a bit too modern and metallic on the last release, have settled into a more song-based approach. The science fiction theme really helps, at least for me; while I didn’t follow the lyrics, the spacey trappings seem to lend the music a certain interstellar roominess.


The songs on this album get better as they get longer. Which is not to say that their shorter songs

are a slouch: the relatively short ‘Howling’ manages to make every second of its 5-minute span count, moving from an uptempo opening section into a slow, almost doomy riff. ‘Holy Sky’ ups the running time, stretching to 8 minutes and giving its langorous, smoky riffs space to breathe. ‘The Parasite Ravages’ moves between mid-tempo, catchy grooves and expansive passages and packs in some nicely atmospheric lead work. ‘It comes from the mist’ has echoes of Sleep and bands from the Wino lineage, conjuring up darker but still quite laidback atmospheres. The singer’s John Garcia-esque delivery is especially effective here.

The steadily building song lengths had me eagerly awaiting the epic title track, and it certainly gets off to a good start with some chugging, ominous riffing interleaved with more opened-out passages. The dual guitar attack, not really used texturally as much as it could be elsewhere, makes for some effective layering. A rumbling bass interlude ushers in a dynamic second section with the first sung verse emerging at around 6 minutes. At the halfway mark, there’s another switch into a more rapid section with whispered vocals echoing in the distance as the guitar layering slowly builds. There’s a  memorable, disconcerting ending section, with riffs slowly decaying into pure texture as agonized vocals intone. However, I’m not convinced that the musical ideas and melodies were distinctive enough to make such a long song stand out. It’s quite likely that Wheelfall is going to create a truly classic epic song some day; in the meantime I think they work best in the 8-10 minute range, which is by no means shabby.

Words by Jayaprakash Satyamurthy

Allow me JP to add a few more words to your review, just to precise that this final title track lasts 22 minutes (!); if personally I had a  single - but slight - reproach to point out towards this album, that would be indeed the excessive length of this song.

Finally, talking about originality, it’s certain that WHEELFALL didn’t invent anything special in a genre that has revealed 95% of its components with  just about 5 albums in the 90’s… but in consistency this album is fairly above the average, plus the correlation between the lyrical thems and the general mood is very interesting.

“Interzone” will be officially released through SUNRUIN rds on November 14^th, in digipack with a 12-pages illustration booklet. Pre-orders are coming ths September 10^th ! Each pre-order will also allow you to download the entire album IMMEDIATELY !!!

Watch out for it here : http://sunruinrecords.com/

 

                                                  

 

 https://www.facebook.com/Wheelfall 

 

... an Interview with Ulla from THE WICKED LADY SHOW

                                  
I already interviewed Gary from Steaming Heathen and Bob from The Soggy Bog radioshows a little while ago, it's now time to have a little focus on a great new European podcast named THE WICKED LADY SHOW... Consisting bi-weekly in one hour of underground abrasive and low tuned sounds, it is maliciously programmed by Ulla, a wise german lady who kindly answered my questions with deep passion and a great sense of humor... You can have a precise idea of her tastes and way of assembling insane stuff all together with both episodes (17&19) that I posted below; if not yet, I have no doubt you'll become quickly a fervent follower ! Support the scene, support her podcast ...

Halo Ulla ! some of the readers already know that you’re a nice and mature german woman supporting actively the Sludge/Stoner/Doom Metal underground scene(s) but could you please present (briefly or not) yourself ?!

I studied English and German to be a teacher, but I soon realized that I sucked at it and I quit that. So I did just this and that including watch my two sons grow and make sure they become metalheads haha (I succeded in that so far). My main occupations in the moment are translating, doing a podcast show, writing reviews for the metalbandcamp blog and watch my sons… umm, having stopped growing.

Most metallers from my generation (am born in 1968) started listening Maiden, Judas Priest, Sabbath, etc… at the very end of the 70’s or early 80’s , but being a bit older than this, maybe YOU’ve had the luck to live and feel the magical essence of the 70’s… ? how did you come to music ? Was it Hard Rock first, then Heavy Metal, then Thrash and DM and finally Stoner/Doom and Sludge ?!!!!

It was exactly the year 1970, Sept.18^th, or maybe one or two days later. I was 11 years old and watched the TV news. Someone reported about the death of a certain Jimi Hendrix and they played “Hey Joe” and “All Along the Watchtower”. That was so different from all music I knew. I was intrigued immediately, my parents horrified (all the better). From this moment I took the usual highway to hell. Of course, the heroes of my youth were Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, King Crimson, Black Sabbath…. In the 70’s there was a lot of experimenting (but of course my whole life felt like an experiment back then). I somehow skipped the Thrash and picked up the DM and BM. The main lanes on my personal “highway” were the progressive/psychedelic lane, the blues rooted rock lane and the HC/crust/punk lane… and yes,  finally the doom/stoner/sludge lane.

When it comes to METAL, after the golden days of the 80’s and eventually the early 90’s with tons of HM, Thrash and even Death Metal…  I feel that for quite a long time Germany doesn’t provide many influential bands anymore, whichever underground styles we could listen; this, despite the fact that there’s lots of fans, press, festivals… what’s your opinion about this ?

I don’t know. I suspect the German metallers, musicians as well as fans, of being quite conservative in terms of music. They like to stick to what they know. But I can be completely wrong with that and it is just a natural phenomenon like a kind of tidal movement affecting a whole area it’s now the time for bands from different areas to flood the metal scene with new ideas. I am thinking of bands from eastern Europe like Poland, Romania, Ukraine, Russia, etc. I believe there are a lot of exciting things going on right now.

Germany has always been reknown for its Thrash or classic HM bands… and still is, even if most of those still existing are now pretty old and declining, how could you explain that Doom, Sludge and Stoner are still quite confidential in such an active country for extreme musics ?

It surprises me again and again that many metal fans, either don’t acknowledge these genres as metal genres – is it Thrash? No? How can you call it Metal?, or they don’t even know what I’m talking about. As I suspected above, they are a bunch of old schoolers, haha. But again I may be totally wrong here too. I have no profound explanation.

So, let’s speak now about THE WICKED LADY SHOW… how did it happen that you started this show a few months ago ? did you already have previous experiences in this domain ?

My only experience in that domain was turn on the (“normal” FM) radio, turn it off again and thinking “Who the hell is responsible for this crap? I ought to do radio in one way or another.” Of course I never would have done it, if Gary from Grip of Delusion Radio hadn’t been looking for more podcast shows for his station and hadn’t asked me. And so, with Gary’s kind and patient help (thanks Gary!) the Wicked Lady Show was born.

How are you working to prepare this show ? Why does it last only 1 hour ?

In most cases there is one or two songs I like much in the very moment I begin a show. All the other songs are picked to support, enhance or even contradict the mood of these songs, then I try to cram them into the 1 hour frame, shift and change until both, the time frame and my sense of a coherent show are satisfied. The show lasts 1 hour, simply because Gary had asked me for a 1 hour show. I am quite happy with that 1 hour, sometimes I could use some more time though, but then… there’s always the next show.

What does your family think about it ?

My family thinks it’s cool what I’m doing. My husband has to spend many hours on the road in his car for his job. He’s always happy with a mix of new music on his sd card. My sons are proud to have a metal mum, haha….. and they are all musicians, two vocalists (husband and eldest son) one drummer (younger son).

The show is programmed each week-end on Grip of Delusion… Did Gary have an influence on you or other buddies like Soggy Bog, Foundry of Doom, Crestfallen etc… ?

They all have an influence on me, they all do great shows. I enjoy to listen to their shows and soak it all up. And speaking of the Soggy Bog I have to say that the Soggy Bog show totally dragged me into the doom and sludge swampland, and that is just a few years ago. So, if you should read this Bob, thanks for infecting me with the “Bog”.

Do you intend to get the show programmed through other radios ?

I wouldn’t say no, if a radio station (one of the kind I would listen to) asked me, but I am not actively searching.

I hope not of course but don’t you sometimes have to face some mysoginist attitudes in your musical activities ?

Within the metal scene it happens very rarely. Occasional incidents of surprise I rather take as the funny part of the sad reality that too few women are involved in extreme music. Sometimes, of course I am confronted with insults deriving from a misogynistic motivation.

Last episode was a special “doomed covers”… if I’m not wrong this was the 1^st thematic show, do you have ideas to do some more on other themes in the future like Soggy Bog does frequently ?

The “doomed covers” was fun to do and I think I will do some more cover song shows, but I don’t think of other themed shows right now. My shows are simply led by a focus on a special mood. My intention is to just put together 1 hour of music that is coherent yet varied. The themed Soggy Bogs are awesome though, and I can only imagine the effort Bob puts into them.

The show programms of course Doom and Stoner, but I feel that your (actual) style of predilection is SLUDGE… what do you particularly enjoy in it that you maybe don’t find in other Doomed subgenres?

Ha yes, you’ve got me here. The Sludge can combine so many elements of music I love. It’s the raw abrasiveness, the slow paced bass driven downtuned thick filth as well as the up tempo crusty elements of punk. There’s blues and rock ‘n roll and also ambient post metal and drone sounds, able to express a variety of moods and all this flung right into your face…. Seriously, what more could one want?

I noticed that there’s sometimes a band played that isn’t at all related to the others, still with obscure/epic moods but different, I’m thinking for example about Melechesh and Enslaved… do you fix any restrictions towards the styles of the band programmed or is it just your feelings of the moment ?

I do this to prevent the listeners from falling asleep, haha. No, sometimes I just want to put something in that provides a different tone of the mood, or even contradicts it without destroying it. There are no restrictions. Everything I do with music is pure intuition and emotion.

Do you get precise statistics about the audience following your show ?  if yes what are you learning out of them ? where do you get the most audience from ?

The statistics are poor and there’s really nothing I could learn from them.

You regularly play some great French bands like Cult of Occult, Eibon, Love Sex Machine, Barabbas, Stangala, etc…. any special affection for French bands and France just simply ?!!!

They just happen to be excellent bands I like very much. It wouldn’t make any difference, if they came from Mars and I wouldn’t pick or dismiss a band because of its state of origin. This doesn’t completely apply to Stangala. In addition to being an excellent band, they come from an area of France I love very much and have many precious memories connected to. And their music is full of the folky tunes of that area.

What could we wish to THE WICKED LADY SHOW for the future ?

You could wish that the flow of response doesn’t stop, from the audience as well as from the bands. That’s what keeps me going.

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