Friday 30 April 2021

Methadone Skies Premiere New Video For THE ENABLER


Romanian psych doom and post-rock act METHADONE SKIES, who are set to release their fifth studio album, Retrofuture Caveman, on May 7th 2021.

To get you in the mood for the new album you can listen to this new song THE ENABLER from the new album


You can pre-order the album here

Links 

Facebook | Bandcamp

Thursday 29 April 2021

Jack Harlon & The Dead Crows - The Magnetic Ridge (Album Review)


Release Date: 17th May 2021. Record Label: Psychedelic Salad Records (Vinyl) / Forbidden Place Records (CD/Cassette). Format:CD/DD/Vinyl/Cassette

The Magnetic Ridge - Tracklisting

The Tale Of
The Magnetic Ridge
De La Luna
Rat Poisoning
Dream Sequence 1
Langoiler
Stray
Dream Sequence 2
The Painter In The Woods
Absolved Pt 1
Absolved Pt 2
Black Road

Review

Aussie Psych Doom/Stoner Rockers Jack Harlon & The Dead Crows make a welcome return with their new album The Magnetic Ridge. Coming 3 years after their acclaimed debut album In Hymns, this album sees the band expand their gloomy style of music. The band play a different style of Psych Rock, Doom and Stoner Rock with a slight “Americana” and Experimental edge to their psyche.

The Magnetic Ridge features 12 songs that perhaps carry on the story of the enigmatic and drug addicted outlaw who featured on the first album. The album is perhaps best described Neil Young making a Doom based “Outlaw Rock” record. The lyrics are quite earnest and self reflecting from beginning to end though helped along by a ton of cool heavy sounds. If you’re a fan of EARTH and Across Tundrass then Jack Harlon & The Dead Crows aim for that similar atmosphere and environment those bands are known for.

Opening song - The Tale Of - is a cautionary tale of villains and outlaws with the band playing a slow-paced style of Americanca and Stoner Rock. The music is cautiously slow and only offers a brief amount of heavy grooves towards the end of the song but they give this song a much needed boost in confidence and supreme Stoner Rock heaviness.

Second song - The Magnetic Ridge - sees the band get straight down to business in playing spaced out and psychedelic noises matched against distorted heavy guitars with an eerie outlook. The atmosphere is bleak but the music is extremely creative and powerful with a subtle Blues Rock riff coming out of nowhere. There are many layers to this song which give an “All Them Witches” influence appearing on the vocals and how the band deliver the excellent story but still remaining true to their own creative powers.

Third song - De La Luna - is an almost 90 second instrumental song offering a cool Desert/Stoner Rock experience with a “Shamanic” feel to it all. An excellent little number that provides an eerie and unsettling approach to the album.

Fourth song - Rat Poisoning - offers the trippiest and perhaps best song on the record. The band runs wild with their creative ideas on this song. Warped psychedelic noises, beautifully played Blues Rock grooves and a lo-fi Doom/Stoner Rock atmospheric backdrop all build up to quite a surreal song that the band always excel at. The heavy guitars are quite forceful and the sound effects build upto an experimental style of Stoner Rock.

Jack Harlon & The Dead Crows go weirder, wilder and even bolder on the later stages of the album with songs such as: Langoiler, Stray, The Panther In The Woods, Absolved Pt 1, Absolved Pt 2 and Black Road allowing the band the opportunity to further expand their great blend of Psychedelic Doom/Stoner Rock with a warped sense of Trippy Paranoia being used within the bleak lyrics and heavier moments of the record.

This album to myself personally is the record that All Them Witches should have made for their last album. Though, this is still a Jack Harlon & The Dead Crows record and I admire the bold creative choices they made for this album. This all builds upto a beautifully surreal and heavy sonic experience that improves on every aspect of their debut album.

The Magnetic Ridge is a wonderful album and will no doubt be counted as one of 2021’s best Doom/Stoner Rock albums when the year is out.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Your Mate Bookings and Psychedelic Salad Records for the promo.

The Magnetic Ridge will be available to buy on Vinyl through Psychedelic Salad Records and CD/Cassette through Forbidden Place Records. The album will be out on May 17th 2021 with Pre-Orders going live from May 10th 2021.

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp

Desert Druid And The Acid Caravan Release New Single THE WITCH


Band Bio

Formed in early 2020 in the city of Sorocaba / SP by three musicians who have known each other for a decade and have been in other bands, the band Desert Druid and the Acid Caravan seeks to bring to their sonority elements of classic bands from the Heavy Metal and Doom Metal, adding a few touches of Stoner Rock. Between the references, seminal names like Electric Wizard, Saint Vitus, Black Sabbath and Pentagram, as well as names like Uncle Acid.



Recorded at Covil Studio in Sorocaba in 2020, “The Witch” is the EP of debut of the trio formed by F. Klinger (bass / vocals), P.Nass (guitar) and E.Lisboa (drums) and consists of four tracks where 70s Hard Rock, Doom Metal and Stoner intertwine in an atmosphere dark and obscured, inviting the listener on a journey through atmosphere of dense riffs coupled with a clean and ethereal vocal, if based on the occult theme and aesthetics. The Witch is scheduled to launch in early May on platforms digital, and the title track will come out as a single in April.

You can hear the excellent new song below from their forthcoming new release


TRACKLIST

1.The VVitch
2.Total Madness
3.Mistress of Black Heart
4.Witching Hour

LINE UP

F.Klinger - Baixo/Voz
E.Lisboa - Bateria
P.Nass - guitarra

Nathaniel Shannon And The Vanishing Twin unveil the video for Mater Suspiriorum

Nathaniel Shannon and the Vanishing Twin unveil the video for Mater Suspiriorum


Nathaniel Shannon and The Vanishing Twin is an experimental dark folk project and the creation of Detroit-bred and Brooklyn based photographer and multimedia artist Nathaniel Shannon. Today sees the release of his spooky video for Mater Suspiriorum. The song is taken from THE THREE MOTHERS, out on US based label Aqualamb, the second video from the EP after Mater Tenebrarum was released earlier this year.

THE THREE MOTHERS bore its roots several years ago as a few disjointed keyboard-based loops in Nathaniel’s apartment. Some feedback, extremely late nights, and a lyrical concept based on Dario Argento’s ‘Three Mothers” film trilogy later, and a record the artist never intended to write was born.

The inspiration behind the video for Mater Suspiriorum is truly unnerving as Nathaniel explains the full story, “The week that Aqaulamb released “THE THREE MOTHERS” EP, I went for a jaunt into the woods near my house and came upon a baby doll lying next to this A-frame looking tree hut.

Both the A-frame, and the doll obviously stuck out, as the leaves had made a blanket of dead foliage. Returning the next day with my camera to take some pictures, I found the doll was no longer there. I paid no mind to it, slightly disappointed, and went about my business appreciating the last days of an Indian summer.

A week later, I found the same doll a block from my house in a neighbor’s front yard. I brought the doll home with me, elated that I had stumbled upon it again, with the intention of photographing and filming it. I captured a few seconds of B-Roll video when my camera suddenly died. I had just put in fresh batteries, yet it was still dead. I swapped out the batteries and tried again. The camera rolled for about 10 seconds before that battery died. This happened a few more times. I recognized that this could be some sort of a camera issue, and while frustrated, didn’t think much of anything besides a technical issue. I had several clips, and that's all I really needed.

That evening, we lost power to our house. Our neighbors all seemed to still have electricity. Upon calling the power company, they showed no record of us not receiving power on their end and said they would send someone out in the morning. Meanwhile, the doll was left in my studio space in the attic of our house after I had gotten done shooting.

I didn’t sleep well that night, and had awful nightmares seeing someone with a red, distorted face. I awoke the next morning to the knock of the power company coming to see what the issue was. The electricity was still out, and I noticed the baby doll wasn’t where I had left it. I couldn’t find it at all. My girlfriend was out of town at the time, and no one else was in the house. I'd had things go missing in the house before and wasn’t trying let my mind wonder too much.

The power company couldn’t find anything wrong, and I began to grow concerned about this doll being in my house, but now I couldn’t find it. I tore our house apart, remnants unfound. I went to a friend's house to do some work. Returning home later that afternoon, I found the doll laying in the middle of our living room floor. I immediately grabbed my camera and stuffed the doll into my bag, promptly returning to the A-frame tree structure in the woods, where I returned the doll, and shot some B-Roll of the tree hut, which can also be seen in the video.

When I arrived home after returning the doll, our power was back on. I couldn’t shake the cold feeling I had. I prepared some notes of my dream and decided to try and recreate it as best as I could for this video. What you are about to see is the doll, the location, and my dream interpretation mixed with a live performance of me playing "Mater Suspiriorum."

Watch the video below:


“THE THREE MOTHERS “is out now on all digital platforms including Bandcamp Spotify Deezer Apple Music

PURCHASE THE LIMITED EDITION "THE THREE MOTHERS" EPHEMERA CASSETTE BOX at https://aqualamb.bandcamp.com

Website

Monday 26 April 2021

Rift Giant - Cataclysm (Album Review)


Release date: May 1st 2021. Label: Planet K Records. Format: CD/DD

Cataclysm – Tracklisting

1.Into the Rift 
2.Hubris
3.Queen Witch 
4.Slaves, she made us
5.To Three
6.Blocks out the Sun
7.Rift Giant
8.Cataclysm

Members 

Matthew Pither - Vocals, Guitars, Bass
Thomas Ramkilde – Drums

Review


Rift Giant 2nd full length album Cataclysm carries on the successful themes and sounds first heard on their last album but this has a more intense atmosphere to it all. The band still take influence from High On Fire and Mastodon but with more fantastical elements which is heard through the lyrics and seen through the imagery on the excellent album cover.

If you’re a fan of that style of music then Cataclysm will be the album for you. Matthew and Thomas go all out on this record with heavy grooves that have a slight Alternative/Thrash Metal feel to them. The vocals from Matthew are rooted in the early style of Mastodon and High On Fire based vocals though clean based.

The music is fast-paced and has a “DIY PUNK” vibe to it all. Throw in some BEASTWARS impressive world-building and Rift Giant are on to a winner here. The 8 songs combines all the good things that I admire most from the world of Sludge/Stoner Metal. Heavy, Loud and Precise Riffs with a violent and dirty Psychedelic undercurrent that brings a modern style of “DOOM METAL” to the album.

Standout songs include: Into The Rift, Hubris, Queen Witch, To Three, Rift Giant and Cataclysm. As these songs allow Rift Giant the opportunity to play a wild and vivid style of Sludge/Stoner Metal with a beautifully delivered “LO-FI” atmosphere.

For a two-piece band, Rift Giant are LOUD and there are times I found the volume quite deafening in places. Though, that’s a good thing. As the band are not afraid to try different levels of volume on this album. So be prepared for a varied style of different songs that Rift Giant play to the best of their musical abilities. 

Cataclysm is a wonderfully epic sounding record that grabs you from the word go and impresses with it’s non-stop style of head-banging and bone-crunching grooves that should have Doom, Sludge, Stoner and Thrash fans entertained from start to finish.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to The Metallist PR for the promo. Cataclysm will be available to buy on CD/DD via Planet K Records from May 1st 2021.


Sunday 25 April 2021

Void Tripper Release New Song - BURNING WOODS - From Their Upcoming New Album - DOPEFIEND


Brazilian stoner/doom band Void Tripper released the single “Burning Woods” as the first advance of the band's first studio album entitled “Dopefiend”, with release planned for the first semester. “Dopefiend” is the result of the band's preparation to be their best release with five tracks of a massive, dull and solid sound that promises to please the most demanding listeners in the strands. 

Recorded mostly at home ( with drums recorded at the Casa de Ensaio studio) and mixed / mastered at Cosmos Art Studios the album features the production of Rafaum Costa (musician and producer from Rio Grande do Norte). 

“Dopefiend” is, in the words of the band itself, “a journey without a return to psychedelic and dirty insanity, with strong influences from Sludge, Stoner and Doom and presenting the problems of today's society with acid lyrics”. 

The band criticizes the posture of the Bolsonaro government taking as an example their negligent attitudes during the 2019-Amazon forest fires, until the most recent days with their constant denial about the pandemic and corruption scandals, drawing parallels with authoritarian rulers that emerged throughout of the history of humanity. In the words of the band, “while Bolsonaro plays at being president, Brazil burns”.

BIO

In mid-2016 four friends who had known each other since school had a passion
in common: Black Sabbath. Taking reference from bands like Acid Bath, Church of Misery,
Melvins, Electric Wizard and Sleep this passion resulted in Void Tripper. The band borrows from the sound of Stoner Rock and the weight of Doom Metal, mixed with psychedelia and dirty riffs. 

There’s two vocalists and guitarists (Mário Fonteles and Anastácio Júnior alternating between aggressiveness andmelody with drummer Gabriel Mota exploding in heavy attacks on the drums accompanied by the mind-boggling bass by Jonatas Monte, in a sound that at the same time refers to the sound classic of the 70s and exploring the aggressiveness of Sludge Metal.

Lowdown

You can view their thrilling new song Burning Woods which has me excited to hear the whole album. This is 8 minutes of Heavy Doomed Out Stoner Metal if you dig bands such as SLEEP and MONOLORD. Turn the volume up for this one.


“DOPEFIEND” tracklisting:

1-Devil’s Reject
2-Burning Woods
3-Hollow
4-Satan & Drugs
5-Comatose 

MEDIAS

KAVRILA - Rituals III (EP Review)


Release date: March 30th 2021. Label: Narshardaa. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Rituals III – Tracklisting

1.Sunday 04:08
2.Equality 03:24
3.Longing 04:32
4.Elysium 04:24

Review

Hamburg’s very own bleak Sludge/Doom Riffsters Kavrila make a welcome return with their new EP Rituals III. This is their first release since their 2018 EP – Rituals II and it continues the bleak journey the band started on both EP’s but with this one being more gloomier and with a lot more heavier sounds.

The EP fuses Post-Hardcore manic energy with Punk Rock sensibilities with the gloomy Doom/Sludge Metal atmospherics giving this EP a welcome blast of grounded reality. The vocals are pissed and clear from the very start with opening song Sunday offering a fast-paced blend of muscular aggressive style of modern day Rock/Metal.

Kavrila keep up this style of music for the whole EP and perhaps offer the best moments on the final two songs of Longing and Elysium. There is something dark and brooding lurking on these two tracks that impressed me the most. The instrumental work is superb with Kavrila bringing real intelligence to their music and lyrical content.

Overall, Rituals III allows Kavrila to complete a hat-trick of great releases under the Rituals banner. I wish the EP was on longer as I wanted to spend more time with the band and 15 minutes is not enough. Though, this is still a superbly realised and well-produced EP from this highly talented band.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp | NARSHARDAA Store

Saturday 24 April 2021

Forest Evil - Into The Woods (Album Review)


Release date: April 30th 2021. Label: Kozmik Artifactz. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Into The Woods – Tracklisting

1. Sent From Hell
2. Adler
3. White Stage
4. Into the Woods
5. Brimstone Boogie 
6. Kingdom Come
7. Burn the Witch
8. See Her Die


Members

Ryan Goss (guitar)
Chris Gamble (bass)
Christian Perez (drums)
Daniel Stephens (vocals)


Review

Forest Evil are from Savannah, GA and have been brought up on steady diet of Black Sabbath, Electric Wizard and Church Of Misery. Well that’s the impression I made after listening to their debut full length album Into The Woods. A dark, brooding and mysterious album channelling that legendary SABBATH based sound with more modern ideas with a cracking FUZZ based atmosphere which is quite LO-FI in all the right ways.

The album opens with a rather happy little number called Sent From Hell which shows the true power of Forest Evil and their blend of trippy and fuzztastic Doom/Stoner Metal. The band take the more gloomy and violent route with their lyrics which allows the band show their true “DOES IT DOOM” credentials. The vocals are clean spoken with a hint of malice behind them. The lyrics are inspired by Church Of Misery with a seedy violent undertone to them all.

Second song – Adler – is more of a Southern Rock tinged offering with a twinge of “Gothic” sounds before the band bring back the heavy thunderous Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal grooves. The song like the album is constantly bleak but Forest Evil grow ever more in confidence with this song and play one of the best tracks on the record. It’s quite slow-paced but this allows the listener to soak every thick groove and nasty riff being played around them.

Third song – White Stag – is a more straight-forward Doom/Stoner Metal song with the band having less time to play with compared to the opening two songs. This song has a more fantastical feel with it’s “manly” lyrics making a mighty impression. The song moves confidently from Doom Metal to Southern Metal for the 1st part of the song before the Psychedelic Stoner vibes make an appearance.

Fourth Song – Into The Woods – is another track where the band bring another style of music to the party with a more subtle “Blues Rock” holding everything together. There is also a very cool “Boogie Rock” sound lingering in the background as well. The band excel playing an almost high voltage style of music which remains true to the Doom/Stoner Metal identity of the entire album.

Forest Evil go considerably bleaker on the 2nd half of the album with choice cuts such as: Brimstone Boogie and Kingdom Come leading the way for the some of the best and heaviest parts of the record.

The band surprised me even further with the final song See Her Die which starts as off as a Southern Rock Love Song but wait until the vocals and FUCKED-UP lyrics appear. Damn. That song left me on a downer. As it’s quite a dark, surreal and bleak offering which I didn’t expect but it allows Forest Evil to end the album on violently gleeful high.

Into The Woods is an excellent debut record on all fronts and should appeal to a vast section of the Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal community. There’s something here for everyone to enjoy and admire. If you’re looking for your next bleak musical odyssey to stumble upon then I recommend this brilliantly entertaining album.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Kozmik Artifactz for the promo. Into The Woods will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Kozmik Artifactz from April 30th 2021.

Links:

Facebook

Thursday 22 April 2021

STÖNER - Live In The Mojave Desert: Volume 4 (Album Review)


Release Date: 30th April 2021. Record Label: Heavy Psych Sounds. Format:CD/DD/Vinyl


Live In The Mojave Desert: Volume 4 - Tracklisting


1.Rad Stays Rad

2.Nothin'

3.Own Yer Blues

4.The Older Kids

5.Evel Never Dies

6.Stand Down

7.Tribe / Fly Girl


Band Members:


Brant Bjork - Guitar/Vocals

Nick Olivieri - Bass/Vocals

Ryan Gut - Drums


Review


If you’re a serious fan of Stoner Rock/Metal and have been living under a rock for the past few months then you should have heard of STÖNER. The new band features Desert/Stoner Rock legends Brant Bjork and Nick Oliveiri. The guys are joined by Brant’s longtime drummer Ryan Gut. The band made their debut live performance within the recent series of LIVE IN THE MOJAVE DESERT of Live Concerts and what can be classed as their debut full length album.


Not many bands release a Live Concert as their debut album but it’s good to see STÖNER do something different for their 1st official release. The album consists of 7 songs which all play to each individual member's strengths and it feels like a complete record because of this. The record features the familiar Desert/Stoner Rock grooves we expect from Brant and Nick from both of their celebrated lengthy careers. Though, the first few moments sound eerily like Brant’s recent studio output but given an “Outlaw Rock” makeover which Nick is primarily known for his solo work.


The first song - Rad Stays Rad - features classic Brant Bjork energy with that undeniable “KYUSS” Desert Rock classic aura leading it’s way through. The grizzled guitars, heavy drums and thumping bass bring a fresh 70s Punk Rock and Hard Rock flavour with the guys musical influences being used for good measure. WIth a band called STÖNER, it’s not necessarily all Stoner Rock/Metal with flashes of Punk Rock, Hard Rock and a dash of Blues Rock making things decidedly different. The lyrics are a strange affair but soon settle into a more adventurous style of storytelling with the music being the main highlight of the song.


Second song - Nothin’ - runs for under 3 minutes and is more BOOGIE ROCK orientated and it’s a groovy little number which could have easily came off the recent studio output of both Nick and Brant. There is a wicked 70s Rebellious Influence on this song and it’s quite easy not to be impressed by it all.


Third song - Own Yer Blues - is the perfect mix of Brant’s laid-back Blues Rock swagger and Nick’s muscular bass guitar moving the song into a more peaceful style of music. Though, you can tell by the rebellious lyrics that heavier things await and they do in the 2nd half of the song. It’s good hearing STÖNER trying a more conventional style of Blues Rock for this song. It’s not the most exciting track but it has some epic guitar solos and drum beats that make this song a real winner. The 2nd half brings a whole wave of distorted Psychedelic Stoner Rock and almost Doomed Out Desert Rock with a thumping performance from Nick.


Fourth song - The Older Kids - has a more reflective and mature attitude with STÖNER bringing in a pure 70s HARD RAWK SOUND to the party. The heavy bass from Nick is widely addictive and is one of his best performances i’ve heard since his QOTSA days. The song moves up a gear when the FUNK based riffs appear and the classic blend of Desert/Stoner vibes have a seedier attitude to them. The guys bring more volume and atmospherics to this song especially with the more outlandish Punk Rock and Psych Rock moments that appear towards the end of the song.


The final 3 songs on the album - Evel Never Dies, Stand Down, Tribe / Fly Girl - offer 22 minutes for STÖNER to convince you to join their Stoner Rock cause and perhaps play the best songs on the record. Evel Never Dies offers Nick the chance to sing lead vocals singing about Evel Knievel and Nick perhaps sees a kindred spirit within Evel Knievel and it’s a very cool PUNK ROCK sounding affair with some cool lyrics to match.


Tribe / Fly Girl is the best track on the album with STÖNER offering a more Prog Rock style of music with this song lasting over 13 minutes. STÖNER goes through a wide range of different sounds and genres on this track but still retains a fresh dynamic to it all. The song is quite soulful and beautifully heavy in all the right moments which ends this album on such a high note.


I felt letdown by VISTA CHINO which was the last time Brant and Nick last worked together. However, STONER is a winning album on all fronts. The band have released an album that builds and uses each individual musicians strengths to great advantage which allows the listener to be treated to a collection of superbly written and played songs.


Live In The Mojave Desert: Volume 4 is a must have album for everyone who claims to be a fan or follower of Stoner Rock/Metal. When you have two of the legendary pioneering musicians from the genre reuniting for a new project then you know that project demands your undivided attention.


Well STÖNER are a band to be genuinely be very excited about and this is a “must have” record to own and add to your collection.


Words by Steve Howe


Thanks to Purple Sage PR and All NOIR PR for the promo.


Live In The Mojave Desert: Volume 4 - will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl at Heavy Psych Sounds Records from April 30th 2021.


Links:


Official | Instagram | BandCamp

Wednesday 21 April 2021

Lay Bare Recordings Announce The New Release CLOSURE by SEVERANT

About The Album


Two great tracks were recorded as their upcoming debut EP in Moon Studio with Pieter Kloos. And there is a full length in the works.

The EP brings to life a new interpretation and performance of dark psychedelic rock. Taking influences from musical adventures such as Pink Floyd and The Devil’s Blood, beautiful melodies will take you away on a journey through their minds.

As said; Severant brings to life a psychedelic sound with grooving drums, melodic bass parts and characteristic guitar riffs that carry the emotional and dynamic vocals. Music which is all written while jamming results in the organic feeling that Severant brings, which is the essence of the band.

About The Band


As very talented music students from the Metal Factory in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, Riccardo Subasi (Bass), Koen Steendijk (Drums), Loet Braamkolk (Guitar) and Erik van Liempd (Guitar & Vocals). Four hard working musicians started their journey together in Eindhoven, The Netherlands. They've found each other out of both emotional and musical necessity. 

You can listen to the song Closure from below


You can pre-order from Lay Bare Recordings now.

Links


Lay Bare Recordings on Facebook 

Tuesday 20 April 2021

Bevar Sea Announce new album; releases new track and video

Bangalore's Bevar Sea is back and announces new album; releases new track and video after long break


Five years after releasing their sophomore album ‘Invoke the Bizarre', Bangalore’s Bevar Sea used the Covid-19 imposed lockdown as an opportunity to regroup and start working on the third album titled ‘The Timeless Zone’. With the backdrop of the lyrics portraying a tryst with the consciousness of man, storying into travels and visions within the self, the music on this song and over the course of the album, pays homage to the glory years of the 70s and 80s hard rock and metal with the typical rifftastic stoner/doom sound the band has embraced on the two albums prior to this.

The first single and title track "The Timeless Zone" will be released on April 30th along with a video for the track on all major streaming platforms. more details on the upcoming album will be released in the near future.

A teaser clip can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/6Q3AWie-PTM

Bevar Sea adds: "The Timeless Zone, the song and the album, continues our approach of playing stoner doom music while being even more loyal to our hard rock and metal roots than before. Every band member had to step up and learn how to record themselves and work via email for arrangements, demos, and finally turn up one by one to record. This album is us embracing the 2021 way of making music while also being busy working from home, taking care of our families, and just dying to be able to play this new music to our fans live some day."


With their beginnings in 2008, the band roared into the live scene in 2011, and in the following year their eponymous album ‘Bevar Sea’ was released, which earned them the "Best Emerging Act" at the Rolling Stone Metal Awards India and a slot in the coveted Maryland Deathfest in 2013 and rave reviews 
worldwide. 

Mixed and mastered by the legendary Billy Anderson, the album was regarded highly for their 45-min hook-laden stoner/doom experience by fans and quickly garnered the band a firm reputation in their country and internationally. 

The fan favourite (Abishtu) which narrates the tale of a serial killer out for hipster blood and on the run from the law became a permanent chant by fans whenever they stepped on stage, while the 14-min ‘Mono Gnome’ about a short statured man and his love for a witch closed the album and turned out to be the pick in the doom circles with their reefer-pleasing, ‘Sleep’– esque flow of slow riffing and raspy vocals. 

Bevar Sea followed up their debut release with ‘Invoke the Bizarre’ in 2015. Drifting into new sonic territories, the band crafted a sinister mood for their audience in the first three tracks ‘Bearded and Bizarre’, ‘Bury me in Nola’, and ‘Sleeping Pool’ which boasted hooks over neck-twisting grooves, the down-tempo chug of the guitars and soaring lead guitars. With the vocal melody chanting ‘Look to the Sky’, the band closed the album with the epic ‘The Grand Alignment’ which comprised of a sublime cascade of riffs, solos, bass lines and vocal hooks. 

Recorded at a breakneck pace over 10 days at Adarsh Recording Studio and mixed and mastered by Matt Lynch (LA's Mysterious Mammal Recording, also from the incredible band Snail), ‘Invoke the Bizarre’ was well received by the press and fans alike for their intricate song arrangements, unique story-telling, mature and well-rounded performances.

The Timeless Zone lineup (2021):

Ganesh Krishnaswamy - Vocals
Srikanth Panaman - Guitars
Michael Talreja - Guitars
Avinash Ramchander - Bass

For Fans Of :
Black Sabbath, Spiritual Beggars, Trouble, Cathedral, Orange Goblin, Sleep, Motorhead

Connect with Bevar Sea:

bevarsea.bandcamp.com
fb.com/bevarsea
instagram.com/bevarsea
youtube.com/bevarsea

LORD DRUNKALOT - Heads & Spirits (Album Review)


Release date: April 20th 2021 (Reissue). Label: Planet K Records. Format: CD/DD

Heads & Spirits – Tracklisting

1. 2+2=3 (5:32)
2. Sun Demons (5:10)
3. Heads & Spirits (9:42)
4. Blåkulla (8:05)
5. Age of Aqualion (7:09)
6. Witchfucker (4:51)


Members

Ganjalf The Black aka Narkobuddha (Guitars, Vocals) 
Ratimir Nebozemlja (Bass)
Party Barbarian aka Alkobuddha (Drums)

Review

Croatia’s LORD DRUNKALOT are the type of band that when you see their name you expect traditional Heavy Metal hi-jinks and low-brow humour. However, this is further from the truth, as the band play a Progressive style of Sludge Metal, Doom Metal and Stoner Metal with the band adding strands of Classic Heavy Metal and even Psychedelic Grooves.

Their new album Heads And Spirits harks back to the good old days of Heavy Metal with flourishes of Prog Rock/Metal and a “Valiant Thorr” sensibility shining through. The record is quite catchy in places with the perfect amount of aggression and that comes mostly from Ganjalf The Black’s spot-on vocals.

Opening song – 2+2=3 – is the type of song that wears it’s heart on it’s sleeve with it’s classic themed Heavy Metal ideas, grooves and lyrics the band have written for this album. The song ticks all the right boxes with the band moving from the different eras or bygone eras of Heavy Metal and Hard Rock. There is still some gigantic modern based Sludge/Stoner Metal sounds leading the charge.

The album was originally released back in November 2020 but it’s getting a cool reissue courtesy of Planet K Records and it give me the chance to listen to the album once more when it was originally released.

LORD DRUNKALOT continue their Prog Rock/Metal journey through the rest of the Psychedelic based album which moves further into Psych Doom/Stoner Metal territory on such fantastic songs: Sun Demons, Heads & Spirits, Blåkulla and the best track on the album – Witchfucker.

LORD DRUNKALOT continue to play to their strengths on this release and they’ve already gained some cool praise within the Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal underground and it’s not hard to see why. The album does everything right. It may not be the most groundbreaking thing currently out there but LORD DRUNKALOT are on the right path in creating a bright future for themselves and some folks will find multiple surprises on this album which they might not expect.

Overall, Heads & Spirits is superbly entertaining and well-made debut album.

Words by Steve Howe

Digital download and jewel cases available at the following link:

https://planetkrecords.bandcamp.com/


Monday 19 April 2021

Brazilian festival Dopesmoke arrives in the first edition in online version and with strong local lineup


BRAZILIAN “DOPESMOKE FESTIVAL” ARRIVES IN THIRD EDITION IN ONLINE FORMAT AND WITH STRONG LOCAL CAST

Dopesmoke Festival from Brazil, which already had strong names such as Ratos de Porão, Brujeria and The Mist, arrives in its first online edition (the third in total) between April 28 and May 2 with bands from Bahia and with activities such as conversation and workshop. Among the attractions we have solid Metal names like Headhunter D.C, Mystifier, Erasy and Mercy Killing. Check out the event's release:

The State of Bahia has always been an important center for the production and diffusion of heavy metal. Two of the bands of world reference in the segment are from there: Headhunter D.C and Mystifier. This scenario enabled a powerful circulation of artists from this scene making the State to receive national and international metal tours becoming an important space for consumption of this musical style.

At the same time, the movement went beyond the borders of the capital of Bahia, Salvador, and internalized itself. It is in this context that, in the city of Feira de Santana, the DospesMoke Festival appears, an event that is going to its third edition with a date set for April 28 to May 2 on youtube. The festival, which has already received great attractions, such as the band Brujeria (USA / Mexico) will be held in a virtual environment, with free training spaces, focused on reflecting on the new directions of the scene, as well as shows, transmitted directly from a stage set up. in the second largest city in Bahia.

“DopesMoke has established itself as an important representative of this chain of music festivals in Bahia and Brazil, being an alternative to expand a market that proves to be exceptionally fertile”, comments Alan Magalhães, one of the festival's producers. “These events were almost always strictly directed at the capital and the metropolitan region”, he highlights.

Metal com Dendê - In this edition, the entire program will be made up of bands from Bahia, the capital and the interior of the state. “In this way, the festival creates a field of possibilities for strengthening different agents in the music scene and makes it possible to carry out projects between artists who, without this pretext, would never be able to enter into partnerships”, explains producer Joilson Santos.

The DopesMoke Festival - Metal com Dendê has financial support from the State of Bahia through the Secretariat of Culture and the Cultural Foundation of the State of Bahia (Aldir Blanc Bahia Program) via the Aldir Blanc Law, directed by the Special Cultural Secretariat of the Ministry of Tourism, Government Federal."

DOPESMOKE FEST WILL BE SHOWN ON THE OFFICIAL YOUTUBE CHANNEL: 

https://www.youtube.com/dopesmokefestival

INFOS:

DopesMoke Festival – Metal com Dendê | Feira de Santana (BA)

When: April 28 – May 2

Free event

SHOWS

30/4

19H00 – OPENING
19H05 – LEGACY OF THE DEAD
19H50 - SOFIE JELL
20h35 - MY FRIEND IS A GRAY
21H10 - VISCERALL
22H00 – ERASY

1/5

17H00 – PAPA NECROSE
17H45 – BEHAVIOR
18H30 – HUMAN
19H10 - ACT OF REVENGE
19H50 – METALWAR
20H30 - SUFFOCATION OF SOUL
21H15 – PESTIS
22H00 - HEADHUNTER D.C

2/5

17H00 – PILOT WOLF
17H45 – INFECTED CELLS
18H30 – GOD FUNERAL
19H10 – INNER CALL
19H50 – MERCY KILLING
20H30 - MARTYRDOM
21H15 - MYSTIFIER

Thanks to Matheus at 
Bruxa Verde Produções for all of the info.

1968. Salvation. If You Need... (Album Review)


Release Date: 20th April 2021. Record Label: No Profit Recordings. Format:DD/Vinyl

Salvation. If You Need... - Tracklisting


Railroad Boogie

Trail Of Dogs

Blackwing

Here It Lies

Guts

Expressway

Eastern Wind

Small Victories

Night Hornet

God Bless


Band Members:


Jimi - Vocals

Sam Orr - Guitars

Bear - Bass

Dan - Drums

Review

Salvation If You Need… is UK Psych Stoner Rockers 1968 contribution to the 4/20 celebrations and it maybe a different style album you would associate with 4/20 but there is a lot of Hard Rock influenced Stoner based grooves with a sense of almost Punk Rock and Classic Rock rebellion. The album cover should tell you that 1968 are happy to bend and rewrite the rules for their own purposes.

This album was recorded in Summer 2020 when the UK had a brief relaxation period from the lockdown rules the country keeps going through, 1968 have delivered an album packed full of 60s and 70s Hard Rock charm but with the added bonus of modern day Stoner Rock swagger.

There’s 10 tracks on this release and the band show early signs of playing a different sound on the excellent opening track - Railroad Boogie - which does show signs of almost ZZ-Top Boogie style rock with a glorious upbeat Psychedelic atmosphere. The vocals are bang-on point with classic rock guitars laying down the groundwork for the album to follow,

Second song - Trail Of Dogs - sees 1968 up the Stoner Rock ante with an almost Doom Rock vibe coming into play but the band hold off by playing a more singular Punk Rock vibe whilst setting off against a 70s Classic Hard Rock backdrop. There is also a “grunge” element which gives an almost “Soundgarden” feel and 1968 just seem to grow ever more confident with this song.

Third song - Blackwing - contains a more lo-fi Punk based environment with cool guitars playing an almost solitary style of music. The vocals feel stripped back along with the music but still allowing 1968 the opportunity to play some excellent guitar riffs along the way. 

Fourth song - Here It Lies - is where 1968 move up a gear and play the 1zt true standout song on the album where everything is played for maximum effect. Loud guitars and loud vocals remind myself of the sounds the band released on their debut album. The song moves effortlessly from one style of music to the next with the production being superb and offering 1968 the chance to play to their musical strengths with some of the best and flashiest sounds on the record.

1968 just go from strength to strength from here on in with the band bringing in a “Blues Rock” approach and writing some of the best parts of the album with the following songs impressing myself the most: Guts, Eastern Wind, Small Victories and Night Hornet.

Salvation. If You Need… is a much better record than their debut release. It may not seem that way at first as there’s a lot to take in with this release. This is a darker and more daring release with 1968 playing a blend of music that fuses the classic Psychedelic Rock sounds of yesteryear and the more hard-hitting Stoner Rock grooves of today. 

Overall, this album is a fantastic slice of Psychedelic Stoner Rock which is action-packed to keep fans coming back for more.

Words by Steve Howe

Salvation. If You Need… will be available to buy on DD/Vinyl via No Profit Recordings from April 20th 2021.

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp

Howling Giant - Alteration (EP Review)

 

Release Date: 20th April 2021. Record Label: Self Released. Format: DD


Alteration - Tracklisting

Understudy
Luring Among Rings
Enemy Of My Anemone
Farmer’s Maggot Crop (ft Mike T. Kerr)

Band Members:

Tom Polzine - Guitars and Vocals
Zach Wheeler - Drums and Vocals
Sebastian Baltes - Bass and Vocals
Marshall Bolton - Keys and Synths

Review

Alteration is the new EP from Psych/Space/Stoner Rockers Howling Giant and is their contribution to the legendary WEEDIAN Holiday of 4/20. This EP was recorded by the following process:

We started streaming on Twitch as a way to scratch the “live show” itch while we anxiously awaited the return of shows and touring. Our streams cover everything from cooking with Tom and Zach to Dungeons & Dragons sessions, as well as solo instrumental streams and our full band show every Saturday.

During the full band shows we ask the viewers to call out song names and we write instrumental jams on the spot to match the song title. After going back and reviewing some of these jams, we decided it would be fun to actually record some of them in a more professional setting. Aside from working on this instrumental 4/20 release, we’ve been deep in the writing process for our next full length record, which will also draw influence from some of our Twitch jams. Named by the people, for the people, and improvised live each week, this is our tribute to our fans, friends, and family that have kept us afloat as we’ve all endured lockdown.

What we have is a 20 minute EP which is purely instrumental spread across 4 songs and it contains all the great sounds and grooves that Howling Giant are known for. It’s a fast-paced and heavy psychedelic affair which is what the band always excel at. It’s good to see them try something different for this release and offer new music for fans to enjoy.

With the fans helping decide the album titles this is most definitely a release “for the people” and Howling Giant deserve credit for listening to their fan-base and releasing something worthy of their already impressive and acclaimed discography.

The standout tracks are most definitely Understudy and Enemy Of My Anemone which show flashes of world-building style Psychedelic Rock and Prog Metal that shows an almost different side to Howling Giant which I hope they build upon their forthcoming full length album.

The instrumental work is excellent and with this being recorded in lockdown conditions, the production is also impressive indeed and shows why Howling Giant are becoming one of the best bands within the Psychedelic Stoner Rock/Metal scene. They’ve been on a roll recently and they keep that “WIN STREAK” going with this heavy spaced out EP and offer their fans a welcome break from the bleakness currently going on in the world.

If you’re new to Howling Giant then check out this great EP and then delve right into their acclaimed back catalogue and possibly find your next “favourite” band.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Claire at Purple Sage PR for the promo. Alteration is available to buy on DD now.

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp