Tuesday 30 July 2019

An Interview With THE ELECTRIC MUD

 

Heavy Stoner Rockers – The Electric Mud – made one hell of an impression last year with their excellent debut album – Bull Gator. It’s one of those albums that creeps up on you and stays long in the memory and that’s down to their hypnotic style of Heavy Stoner Rock with elements of Blues Rock and Souther Rock leading the way.

The Electric Mud will be releasing their superb new album – BURN THE SHIPS – on August 23rd 2019. We’ll be reviewing that album real soon. Until then you can read this cool interview with the band where we discussed the making of both albums and what people can expect from BURN THE SHIPS.

Read on for more info….

Hi guys. Thanks for doing this interview. How are things with you today?

Things are honestly pretty killer, got a rare day off and steaks on the grill, it’s gonna be tough to screw today up.

Can you give a brief history of how The Electric Mud came together and where the band is today?

So as myself (Constantine, I play guitar) and Tommy’s (bass guitar) previous band split, Peter (sings, also plays guitar) was just getting back home to Fort Myers after getting his education up in Gainesville and doing some travelling. We had a couple jam sessions and pretty immediately fell in love with what we were doing and have been slugging it out since. Pierson (drums) was the missing piece to really round our sound out so we’ve all been together two and a half years now. We stay busy playing locally and regionally and tour nationally a few times a year.

How would you describe your own music in your own words?

Man you can dress it up in so many different ways, but at the end of the day it’s just rock and roll. We get stoner rock, southern rock, heavy blues, all kinds of stuff and it’s a blend of all of those things for sure but at the end of the day, we pride ourselves on working relentlessly on being a great rock and roll band. That’s the mission.

You will be releasing your new album – Burn The Ships very soon. What can people expect from the album?

Forward thinking but deep rooted rock and roll music, in our humble opinion. We want to take the music we grew up listening to, bands like Sabbath and Floyd and the Allman Brothers and Skynyrd and such and add a chapter to their book, as it were, instead of copying it verbatim or throwing it out with the bath water.

Was recording the new album a hard or easy experience for the band?

We had an absolute blast cutting this record with Matt Washburn at Ledbelly studios up in North Georgia. He’s one of the best in the business, and really helped us put something together we’re gonna be proud of for a long time.


The album cover is great. Who designed the cover and how much input did you have into the final design?

We work with a Phillipino artist named Alfiandi our buds in Beerwolf (check them out they’re on Ripple and from Tampa and they rip shit) recommended to us actually, he did the cover for Planetfall, their most recent record, and we’ve used him since our debut album. The concept and design was all Pierson’s, he takes full credit there. We were all sitting around overthinking the hell out of it and he was kinda like “guys, stop, alligator wizard.” And we all kinda went “ohhhhhh yeahhhhh.”

What is the song writing dynamic in the band? Is it a group collective or down to certain individuals?

Musically we function best when we’re working really collaboratively. One guy will bring a riff or two or a rhythmic idea and then it’ll get passed around the room and anyone who has an idea can throw it in and have the band look It over. Writing that way has its intense moments and requires a lot of faith and a lot of trust in each other, but the end product shows us time and time again it’s just what’s best for us by a long shot.

What comes first when writing and recording new music. Music or lyrics?

It’s a mix of both. Peter is the kind of lyricist that works around the clock and has notebooks and notebooks full of ideas, and sometimes he’ll pull from those and sometimes a certain piece of music will get him feeling a certain kind of way and something entirely new emerges.

What inspires you when writing music?

Me, personally? An intense, deep, lasting fear of failure. Totally kidding. Life, my home-town, my family, friends, the other guys in the band, it’s a deep well.


You released your debut album Bull Gator last year. Great album by the way. Were you happy with the responses the album received from both fans and reviewers alike?

Thanks for checkin out Bull Gator! We could not have been more pleased with the response, that album has carried us admirably through our touring cycle for it and people have received it, and us, some unsigned nobodies from a small isolated market way down on the gulf coast, with open arms and we can’t be grateful enough.

Looking back on the album, would you change anything about it?

Not a damn thing, it’s an accurate picture of where the band was at the time it was cut, and we firmly believe that’s what a record is supposed to be.

Do you have the opportunity to perform live on a regular basis in your home town or do you have to travel further afield?

We have a really supportive local community at home that it’s an absolute pleasure to play for. Fort Myers has given us back everything we’ve given it and so much more.

How would you describe The Electric Mud LIVE experience?

Currently it’s pretty no frills, stripped down and in your face. We’re trying turn the amps up, come out of the chute with intensity, precision and energy and just kinda box your eardrums like Evander Holyfield for as long as we’re allowed to.


Thanks for doing this interview. Before you go do you have any words of wisdom to say to your fans?

Well, we’d just have to say thank you, from the bottom of everything that we are, and as far as advice, keep an eye out for us here in the second half of the year we’re gonna be on the road and all over the place! Thanks so much for taking the time guys we appreciate you having us.

Words by Steve Howe and The Electric Mud

Thanks to Curtis at Dewar PR for arranging this interview. Thanks to the guys for taking the time out to talking to us. Burn The Ships will be out on August 23rd 2019.

You can hear a few tracks from the upcoming new album below.

Links:



COMACOZER - MYDRIASIS (Album Review)


Release date: July 27th 2019. Label: Headspin Records / Sound Effect Records. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

MYDRIASIS – Tracklisting

1.MYDRIASIS 13:11
2.TRYPTAMINE 11:30
3.KYKEON JOURNEY 20:51

Members

Rick - Guitars
Rich - Bass
Andrew - Percussion
Jabs - Synth/Keys

Review

Aussie Psych/Space/Stoner Rockers – Comacozer – return with their latest album MYDRIASIS. The album is a forty-five minute plus ride into the dark vortex of Psychedelic Space/Stoner Rock with the band adding a more Progressive and Droned out feel to their music.

The album is quite daring and bold with Comacozer creating a more personal sound compared to their previous releases. Maybe the band could be more adventurous with this album in places. However, Comacozer pull out all the stops creating an album that’s not afraid to play with listeners fears and expectations from start to finish.

Opening song – MYDRIASIS– is a progressive and droned out song with the band slowly building many different layers of Psychedelic Spaced Out Rock with a heavy handed Stoner Rock approach that sees the band add a delicious and darkly twisted FUZZ Rock/Metal groove to the song. The song runs past the thirteen-minute mark and Comacozer make sure you don’t leave empty handed with it’s exciting blend of Sixties/Seventies style of Jam based Freak-Out/Psychedelic Rock.

Second song – TRYPTAMINE – has a more cosmic feel on this song with the band adding gloomy sound effects and swirling ambient noises. The music starts rather quiet and slowly before Comacozer move away from their “Eastern” inspired sound for a more direct and exciting sound. This is the perfect song to lose and rediscover yourself in. As the song is quite reflective and forgiving in parts until the heavy riffs appear and all HELL breaks loose.

Third song – KYKEON JOURNEY – is the centrepiece of the album as it runs past the twenty-minute mark. It’s perhaps the hardest song to listen to on the album. As Comacozer take their time with this song and it does take time for the song to fully get moving. The song can be gloriously heavy one moment and deliberately slow the next. This song sometimes feels the band didn’t have enough time to get their spaced out message fully across on this song. However, this is a superbly written that sees Comacozer play to their absolute strengths and leaves you wanting more.

Overall, MYDRIASIS is a genuinely thrilling, stunning and expertly produced album that long-time fans of the band will admire the most.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to COMACOZER for the promo. MYDRIASIS is available to buy now on DD via BandCamp. Vinyl via Headspin Records and CD via Sound Effect Records.

Links:


HAMMERHANDS - Model Citizen (Album Review)


Release date: July 18th 2019. Label: Self Released. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Model Citizen – Tracklisting

1.Pleasure Island 04:17
2.MAXIMUM Beta 04:26
3.Do It Right 04:13
4.I'm Not Here 04:49
5.Too Many Rivers 05:23
6.Dad Sludge 03:33
7.That Awful Sound 06:09
8.Not in the Cards 03:22
9.Bastard Jesus 06:37

Members

Collin Young - Guitar, Vocals
NJ Borreta - Guitar, Vocals
Jon Galletly - Drums, Vocals
Justin Hunt - Bass

Review

Hammerhands new album – Model Citizen – is quite a loud and aggressive album with a deep social conscience running within the bands DNA. The album is quite different to their earlier albums and I have to applaud the band for writing hard-hitting lyrics to match their heavy experimental and sometimes Psychedelic Rock/Metal sound.

Opening song – Pleasure Island – starts off promisingly with a mixture of intense Progressive Doom/Sludge Metal grooves that feel influenced by Mastodon and Neurosis. The hap-hazard approach with the music is quite infectious in places and the progressive sounding guitars add a real classy sound to proceedings. Hammerhands sound quite confident on this song and leave you wanting more.

Second song – Maximum Beta – has a more Hardcore based sound compared to the opening song. The song still manages to maintain a deep progressive groove with hard-hitting lyrics to match. The vocals feel out of place for the most part but soon settle down into a more confident rhythm. The music is way more experimental with elements of Sludge, Doom, Noise and Hardcore Punk combining for a deeply troubling and unflinching sound.

Third song – Do It Right – is quite freaky, surreal and very gloomy in places. The band feel inspired by Eagle Twin on this song with the vocals and riffs having a familiar sound to them. Though, the socially aware lyrics save the day once more and allow Hammerhands to create an unsettling style of Doom/Sludge Metal.

Fourth song – I’m Not Here – is one of the standout songs on the album with the band playing a more straight-forward style of Doom/Sludge Metal with a classic sounding Hardcore groove being added for a deeply unsettling approach.

Hammerhands continue experimenting with their sound and adding a gloomy rebellious nature to the overall feel of the album. Songs such as Too Many Rivers, That Awful Sound and Bastard Jesus make a lasting impression and that’s down to the dark lyrical content the band have written for these songs.

Overall, Model Citizen is an superbly produced and well-made album with a lot to say. It will take time to fully understand what’s going on with this album and is perhaps best suited to the more adventurous Doom/Sludge Metal listener.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Will at Prescription PR for the promo. Model Citizen will be available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl.

Links:


Friday 26 July 2019

Weedsnake - Cannabinoide (Album Review)


Release date: July 22nd 2019. Label: Self Released Format: DD

Cannabinoide – Tracklisting

1.Homocannabilis 11:01
2.Dulce Néctar 06:26
3.Hierba de Bruja 06:27
4.Humo en el Aire 10:33
5.Drogadicto 04:06
6.En Busca del Cualquier 05:48

Members

Alex - Vocals
Etziel - Guitar
Furias - Bass
Nico- Drums

Review

One of my favourite Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal bands from Mexico – Weedsnake – return with Cannabinoide and it’s their most ambitious, riifiest and strangest album get. This album sees the band add a more grown-up “WEEDIAN” and PSYCHEDELIC flavour to their overall sound. The music is more progressive with the band adding lengthier strands of Sludge based grooves to their music.

Cannabinoide is an album built on an intriguing premise and sees Weedsnake create a nightmarish world where the Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal sounds combine for a gloomy audio experience.

Opening song – Homocannabilis – opens with a lengthy Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal instrumental vibe that shows you how the music will be played for the majority of the album. The vocals from Alex come creeping in around the 6 minute mark and there more growls than actual vocals. The riffs are KING here but Alex does make his presence feel known when his eerie growls appear. They fully come into focus around the 8 minute mark. The atmosphere becomes ever slightly demonic with Weedsnake relying on their Doom Metal tendencies for the rest of this song.

Second song - Dulce Néctar – carries on the warped and gloomy heavy psychedelic sound with the Stoner Metal being the main driving force here. It’s good to see Weedsnake adding a more “Classic” vibe to the overall atmosphere. The vocals from Alex maybe on the “brutal” side of things. However, the music is quite addictive and has some solid touches of Hard Rock and Heavy Metal that make Weedsnake such an exciting band to listen to.

If you dig bands such as SLEEP, CONAN, Electric Wizard, COUGH and Black Sabbath but with a more demonic outlook on life then Weedsnake will speak volumes to you. Cannabinoide is quite surreal in places and you can tell that by the fantastic artwork. The band aren’t afraid to explore their Psychedelic influences and they create a nightmarish sound at times on the album.

Other great songs to check out are: Hierba de Bruja, Humo en el Aire and En Busca del Cualquier. As Weedsnake play some of the heaviest and angriest parts of the album on these songs alone.

The vocals maybe too heavy for the “Casual” Stoner Metal fan. So be prepared for a violent onslaught of Death Based Growls amongst the superbly played riffs. Alex’s vocals add an exciting level of brutality to Weedsnake’s sound and the band thrive bringing something different to the table.

Overall, Cannabinoide is perhaps the best album that Weedsnake have released to date and proves that the Mexican Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal scene is worth giving a DAMN about.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Links:


Thursday 25 July 2019

Time To Feel The PAIN - An Interview With Mona Miluski of HIGH FIGHTER



Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metallers – HIGH FIGHTER – have always been one of my favourite current bands within the scene. I’ve been a long time supporter of the band and they have gone from strength to strength since their inception back in 2014.

The band released their celebrated debut album – Scars & Crosses – back in 2016 which was acclaimed by fans and critics alike.

Fast forward 3 years and the band are back with their heaviest and most brutal release to date. CHAMPAIN is a more daring sound with lead vocalist – Mona Miluski – showing off her impressive vocal range. This is an album that will send chills down your spine.

The band are now singed to Italian Powerhouse Label – Argonauta Records – and I managed to catch up with Lead Singer – Mona Miluski – who also runs the excellent PR Label – ALL NOIR PR.

Read on for a cool and fascinating interview with one of my favourite people within the Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal Community.

Hi Mona. Thanks for doing this interview. How are things with you today.

Hey Steve, thanks for having us again! Things are well. Our album release plus some great tour dates are close, summer is here too, so life could be worse.

Congrats on your upcoming new album CHAMPAIN. Fantastic album and even better than your debut album. You excited for people to hear the new angrier and pissed off HIGH FIGHTER.

Thank you, that means a lot. Yes we are, and it seems so far people even liking that heavier side, which is amazing to hear! We appreciate our listeners being so open-minded when it comes to music, as so are we.

CHAMPAIN is quite a dark and daring release compared to your celebrated debut album. Was that an easy decision by the band to release something different.

Yes. Because it's never been a decision. We already started writing new material shortly after the release of 'Scars & Crosses', but in the end we had a lot of different parts. We even thrown many of them aside, and started into a new songwriting flow during 2018, when it naturally turned into a heavier and more fast-paced direction. We felt very comfortable with it, and I think this record is kind of more focussed and following a central theme than any other record we did before.

Are you scared how you fans may react to CHAMPAIN. Or is this a risk worth taking for HIGH FIGHTER.

No, whether it's a risk or not, we don't write our music to satisfy others only. That has never been our main goal, otherwise we would have written previous records in another style. We are aware of how to please genre fans and for sure we would be able write “the” classic stoner rock, doom or metal song, but we never feared any genre borders. As you know Steve, we have always mixed a lot of styles into one High Fighter sound, and it's not always easy to please everyone.

You play a metal festival, and you're too stoner; you play a stoner festival, and you're too metal. We have somehow became kind of exotic in the heavy music scene, and that's fine for us, we got used to it! (laughs)

We write the music we dig and how we feel comfortable with. We have never cared about fitting into one genre, and we probably never will. Like Brant Bjork once said to us, “don't care too much what others say about you, do your thing, and one day they will get it.” Right on.



What was the recording of CHAMPAIN like. Was it an easy or hard experience compared to your debut album.

This time we were 100% prepared. We took a few months for the pre-production. Aside rehearsing 2 times a week, we spent every weekend recording all tracks live, over and over again, for months. Again we taped all instrumentals live. Recording with our dear friend Jan Oberg was super relaxed and he helped us with a lot of creative input, which also definitely gave the album a few more great highlights. This time we did not feel a rush as on the last record due to the booked studio time was running out, but recordings went pretty quick this time. Thanks to the months of spending every weekend for pre-recordings!(laughs)

The album touches on some hard-hitting themes on the album. What inspired you when writing the lyrics and recording the vocals as well.

Life and personal struggles is what always inspires me the most. I would call myself a “happy depressive” person. Life could be actually good, great job, amazing friends, but sometimes and over a long time recently and while we have written the album, there has been some inner emptiness. You're surrounded by actually an OK life, but you're alone, you know that feeling?

Champain tells the story of an anti-hero, it can be you, me, anyone who reads this. Someone who always falls down in life, who is dealing not only with depressions but also personal disappointments by relationships and people you may have trusted, about not feeling lovable, about your inner demons and daily struggles. But this “Champ” creates a power out of this situation, due to being almost angry, pissed or desperate about the ever falling in life, and always finds a way to move on. This album is power and weakness, it's dark and light, it's strength and pain.

Mona, you’ve changed your vocals quite considerably for this release. I’ve never heard you sing harsh vocals such as this. Some of them even go into almost DEATH METAL style delivery. Is this something you’ve always wanted to do and never had the chance to.

Yea, I have worked on my vocal skills and tried out myself over the years, especially live. And I learned a lot about my vocal range and colortones. While we write songs, it's always an inner feel when I hear a riff, if I will scream or sing clean on it. Naturally on this new record, the riffs and grooves all turned out to be very heavy and straight forward right from the beginning, and build me a ground to add more brutal vocals on it, while not losing my blues and grunge roots. I really appreciate and enjoy the freedom my band mates create, as it gives a lot of freedom to show the variety in each one of us.

Is this how HIGH FIGHTER will sound on future releases.

Who knows. (smiles) Maybe yes, maybe no – may happen our third album will even share further sides of the High Fighter.

I know you’ve performed these new songs LIVE recently. How has the response been by people from a LIVE Perspective. Did people enjoy hearing the new songs with the old songs.

We totally love playing the new tracks live! Such a good and intense energy with the crowd, just recently at for example Desertfest London or Freak Valley. Insane!

We will play a few festivals this year and also hit the road with Dopethrone in August. This run will be crazy, and we can't wait!

You’ve managed to bring in some big guns and good friends of yours - Anton Lisovoj - to provide vocals on When We Suffer and Jan Oberg of EARTHSHIP and GRIN fame to record the album. Were they easy to convince to be part of the HIGH FIGHTER journey.

One can say, Champain is a “family affair”. We became good friends with Jan when we toured with Earth Ship a few years ago already, and are also fans of his studio productions. Some of our friends recorded some killer albums with him, and while we moved into a heavier direction on Champain, Jan has been the perfect match for us. We had a great time in Berlin, Jan has been amazing in regards to our sound, common vibes and the creative input. Marcel Schulz alias Johnny Doe, who is also part of the Earth Ship and our Berlin family ( now playing in Praise the Plague ) was responsible for our artwork this time, and we took our new photos with Basti Grim of Earth Ship and Neander in Berlin after a long day in the studio.

It's the first time ever, we have a guest vocalist on the album. When we met the guys in Downfall of Gaia the first time, back in 2017 on our tour with Conan, we became close friends since then. Nowadays, Anton belongs to one of my best friends, I am also a huge fan of not only his band but also his vocal colour. When we thought about having a guest singer, I immediately had Anton in mind – and we are stoked he was up for it.

Especially since the track, When We Suffer, may be the only kind of a "ballad" on the entire record if you could even say so, all the more it's a perfect match having such a great Black Metal vocalist like Anton, who gave the song its very special vibe. So yea, you can definitely say this album was a family project, and we luckily not really had to “convince” someone to be a part of it.


Your now signed to one of the best labels currently out there – ARGONAUTA RECORDS. Why did you sign to Gero’s label. As you were with SVART RECORDS originally. Did SVART not want to release the new album.

Well, we told Svart about the heavier direction of Champain, and already felt we'd be more comfortable with a label that represents our style to 100%. So both sides, label and us, decided to split in good ways.

We're still super grateful to have released a first album with such cult label Svart is, but when we applied the new album to Argonauta, Gero was on fire right away. Argonauta is not only very passionate and professional to the same time, but also represents our sound perfectly.

I know you worked with GERO for a short time already with your amazing PR Firm – ALL NOIR. Did that help at all with signing to Argonauta Records.

Actually Argonauta has been the first label, among the great folks at Heavy Psych Sounds, who have been working me since I launched ALL NOIR more than a year ago. Gero and me just celebrated our first anniversary as business partners, and we make a great team. But, High Fighter is not getting any gifts, no matter what my job is about. We have to work as same hard as every other band on this planet, we had to sleep on many floors and sometimes still have to bother the venue for stage water. Not only my experiences may have helped, everyone in High Fighter played in bands before, naturally we built up an acknowledgement as well as network, whether to other bands we are friends with, to promoters, agents or labels. Aside maybe different tastes, but let's be honest, no one is giving you any gift when you suck.

We met Gero a few years ago already, long before we even worked together, and played a show in Italy with his band Varego. Great night and vibes. He followed High Fighter and kept an eye on us, and since he is aware that we are very passionate on a DIY-level, knows me as a musician and promoter, and since we make a good team nowadays – maybe things were easier for us on that view, but music-wise we also simply fit together perfectly. Argonauta represents everything you will find in High Fighter, maybe that's the main reason what helped us to sign with Gero.


Congrats on your recent and continued success with ALL NOIR. Seems it’s going from strength to strength. You’ve also have new partner to help you out. Dominik from Downfall Of Gaia. How did that came about. Have things become a lot busier for you to run the firm by yourself.

Thank you Steve. And I appreciate you have always been not only a supporter of High Fighter, but also for the music and bands I represent. Yes, things got busy when I left Napalm Records to start my own company last year, it's been crazy and I feel so grateful that I can live from what I love. After a year it was time to expand, otherwise I could not handle all the great bands and clients I cover as a 1-woman-agency, and I would hate to pass on future requests from killer bands and labels.

Dominik is a longtime and very close friend of mine I trust, but, he knows the flipside of the coin. Being an active and touring musician himself, while having released many records the DIY- AND major label way, he is the perfect team member for ALL NOIR. He currently covers some rad Black Metal and Sludge / Doom releases, and does an amazing job. I am really happy he joined my company.

I want to thank you personally for your continued support to my work on Outlaws Of The Sun. It means a hell of a lot. Especially over the last 4 years or so.

Absolutely, and I can only give this back to you Steve. Outlaws Of The Sun still belongs to my favorite blogs ever, I always enjoyed and enjoy your writing skills and articles most, started to read your thoughts about bands and releases, I sometimes discovered just because of you, back in your days at The Sludgelord. Not only have you been High Fighter's biggest supporter since Day 1 the band started, but I appreciate all you did and do for this scene in general. Please, always keep up the great work, the music world would be an empty place without your support.

Before you go. Do you have anything to say to your fans.

Cheers to all of you Outlaws Of The Sun, summer is here – so get some Champain and check out our new album! Stay high, and see you somewhere on the road hopefully sometime soon.

Words by Steve Howe and Mona Miluski

HIGH FIGHTER LIVE:

03.08. DE - Gößnitz Open Air 
08.08. PT - SonicBlast Moledo
18.10. DE - Metal Inferno Paderborn

w/ Dopethrone:
11.08. DE - Mannheim / 7er Club
12.08. DE - Dresden / Chemiefabrik
13.08. DE - Berlin / Zukunft am Ostkreuz
14.08. DE - Hamburg / Hafenklang
15.08. DE - Wiesbaden / Schlachthof
16.08. FR - Colmar / Le Grillen

Links:


HEAVY MASH 2019 - Festival And Line-Up Details


In conjunction with Division Brewing in Arlington, TX, we are pleased to announce the 3rd year of this small fest presented by Growl Records, The Obelisk, The Sludgelord, Artificial Head Records, and Death Chicken! It will be held at Division Brewing in Arlington, TX on October 19th from 2pm to midnight-ish. In past years we’ve seen Wo Fat, Duel, Great Electric Quest, Doomstress, Mountain of Smoke, Stone Machine Electric, and many others slay our stage. 

Below is our full line-up, starting with the headlining act:

The Liquid Sound Company – a psychedelic band formed by doom veteran John Perez in 1996 from Arlington, TX

Destroyer of Light – a melodic doom metal band that pushes those boundaries from Austin, TX

Forming the Void – progressive heavy rock from Lafayette, La

Vorvon – wizard metal from Fort Worth, TX

Funeral Horse – garage metal from Houston, TX

Whep – punk sludge from Denton, TX

Smokey Mirror – heavy psych blues from Dallas, TX

The Grasshopper Lies Heavy – post-metal from San Antonio, TX

Sonar Lights – heavy rock from Fort Worth, TX

C.I. – Instrumental rock for crankhead alcoholic camo-jort-wearing deadbeat dads from White Settlement, TX

For any comments or questions, please contact us at heavymashfest@gmail.com. If you’re in a band, feel free to submit yourselves for next year and beyond.

https://www.facebook.com/events/2030272317279798/
https://www.facebook.com/heavymash/
https://www.instagram.com/heavymashfest/

Children Of The Sün Premiere New Album FLOWERS


Inspired by Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and the free lovin' spirit of 1969's legendary Woodstock Festival, Children of the Sün embody both the carefree and reflective sides of classic rock music.  This band may look like hippies, sound like hippies, and even bring a wooden sun on stage with them -- but the sunshine flows through their performances all by itself. 



The eight-piece outfit, hailing from Arvika, Sweden, blends seamless vocal harmonies with throwback grooves on their upcoming debut full length album Flowers. Soulful and psychedelic, these "flower children" use their music to conjure up feelings of freedom, love, and a connection with the natural world.  Following their 2018 success in the Swedish music competition Livekarusellen, the band released a self-titled EP and later came under the wing of The Sign Records. Children of the Sün look forward to releasing Flowers via The Sign on July 26th, 2019 in digital, CD, and vinyl formats.

Band Members:



  • Jacob Hellenrud -- Guitar
  • Josefina Berglund Ekholm -- Lead     Vocals
  • Ottilia Berglund Ekholm -- Choir
  • Wilma Ås -- Choir
  • Ida Wahl -- Bass
  • Anna Nilsson -- Keys
  • Christoffer Eriksson -- Drums
  • Sara Berkesi -- Percussion

Flowers will be available internationally through the following distributors:


  • Cargo - Germany, Switzerland and Austria
  • MVD - North America, Japan, New Zealand, and Australia
  • Plastic Head - UK and Ireland
  • Sound Pollution - Sweden and Denmark
  • Border - Norway
  • Supersounds - Finland
  • Soundworks - France
  • Mystic - Poland, Czech Rep, Slovakia and Slovenia
  • Audioglobe - Italy
  • Musicworld - Hungary
  • Wizard - Bulgaria
  • Suburban - Holland and Belgium
  • Karonte - Spain and Portugal
Children of the Sün Facebook:



The Sign Records Facebook:



Thanks to Curtis at Dewar PR for all the details and album premiere.