Umbilichaos Announce Details Of New Release - TO BECOME UNREAL

Dense, gloomy, prickly. This is the magnetic and mesmerizing sound of Umbilichaos, project formed in 2007 by talented and multifaceted Anna C. Chaos, and on the 17th of June we will have another powerful sample of this with “Becoming unreal”, Anna's new work that will be divided in two atmospheric and impressive tracks.

The indestructible band of a woman returns with her 12th manifesto of overwhelming and dissonant cyber-psychedelia, just 7 months after her last album. In “To Become Unreal”, composed at the end of 2014 while going through dark times, Anna C. Chaos once again documents the human confrontation with personal and impersonal demons. Recorded, mixed and mastered by the artist in the second half of 2020 it ends up becoming a sound portrait of the current apocalypse.

With 2 tracks and 25 minutes length, the artist provides an immersive musical journey experience: more of a soundtrack than a conventional Rock record. The final part of the Tetralogy of Solitude, along with the three previous albums, is inspired by Jung, Joseph Campbell, João Cabral de Mello Neto, Vidas Secas and biblical iconography. Lyrically permeated with agonizing images of search for internal truths, amid desert and eroded landscapes of the human spirit. 

Sonically, remind Neurosis, Justin K. Broadrick, Meshuggah, Melvins, Soundgarden, Death, Swans, Earth, Eyehategod, Amebix, Celtic Frost. But also Sonic Youth, Tar, Babes in Toyland, Drive Like Jehu, Slint. Flee. It also adds Cocteau Twins and Joni Mitchell. Like previous works, it appropriates the method of Metal and Hardcore, but abolishing the formula. It pays tribute and uses the teachings, but distorts, angulates and subverts them. It is slow, severe, psychedelic, intense and aggressive. It explores dissonances and guitar textures, with long and angular riffs, extended chords. Visceral howls, noises and effects, coexisting with tablas and slide guitars. Whispers and chants alternate with strange times and dynamics, always forcing more complexity of drum-machine programming.

“To Become Unreal” will be officially available on streaming on June 17th through the Sinewave label. The first segment of this work can already be found in Bandcamp.

Listen “To Become Unreal Pt.1”: https://umbilichaos.bandcamp.com/album/to-become-unreal

Thanks to Bruxa Verde for all of the details.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp

Part Chimp - Drool (Album Review)

Release date: June 04th 2021. Label: Wrong Speed Records (UK) / Learning Curve (US). Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Drool – Tracklisting

1. Back From The Dead
2. Wallow
3. One In The Eye
4. Clever
5. I Feel Fantastic
6. Drool
7. Up, With Notes
8. No Sad Faces
9. Dirty Birdy
10. It’s True Man
11. USisA
12. Worms

Members

Tim Cedar - vocals, guitar
Jon Hamilton - drums
Iain Hinchliffe - guitar
Robin Freeman - bass
Joe McLaughlin – bass

Timothy Farthing – vocals on “It’s True Man (Acid Christmas)”

Review

Part Chimp have been one of the unsung heroes of the UK Sludge/Noise Rock scene since 2000 and have released an impressive back catalogue within that time-frame. The band did split back in 2011 but gloriously came back in 2016 and have released two great album since then with 2017’s IV and 2018’s Cheap Thriller. Fast forward 3 years later and the guys are back with Drool.

Drool sees the band continue their heavy style of Noise Rock/Punk Rock influenced journey into Sludge Metal territory with catchy hooks and bleak grooves when you first hear the excellent opening song – Back From The Dead. A twisted dark tale that will appeal to fans of TAD, TORCHE and The Melvins.

There’s a reason why Part Chimp have been around as long as they have and that’s their thrilling vocals and lyrics which makes the band NATURAL BORN STORYTELLERS. Each song has on the album has an interesting premise that makes the song that ever more “threatening” and “outlandish” in all the right places. Heavy Sludge Rock is married perfectly with Psychedelic Noise Rock and twisted slabs of Grunge.

Drool is perhaps Part Chimp’s most consistently engaging and entertaining album to date. There are some cool memorable Indie-Pop sounds amongst the madness of it all. The album contains 12 songs and it maybe too OTT in places but it’s never boring with Part Chimp at least trying so many different things on the majority of the songs.

Songs such as: Wallow, One In The Eye, Clever, Drool, USisA and Worms are the best tracks on the record as this is where Part Chimp play the heaviest parts of the album. The Psychedelic Nature of this album is another highlight as the album moves into unexpected areas of weirdness and heaviness that we haven’t heard from the band in such a long time.

Boosted by first-rate productions values as well, Drool is one of the best sounding records Part Chimp have released to date but still keeping an edgy atmosphere to everything you hear on the record.

Drool is another outstanding album from Part Chimp and no doubt will keep their established fan-base happy and maybe bring some new admirers along for this trippy and violent wild-ride.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Daniel at CZ Promotions for the promo.

Drool will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Wrong Speed Records (UK) / Learning Curve (US) from June 04th 2021.

Links:

Official | Facebook | BandCamp

TOMBSTUNNER Release New Video For ASH from their New Album CALL TO THE VOID

Psych Doom/Stoner Metallers TOMBSTUNNER released their excellent debut album Call To The Void back in Jan 2021. You can read my review here.

The band have released a great new video for ASH from the debut album which we are premiering below.

Check Out TOMBSTUNNER for a thrilling and brilliantly heavy ride.

Links: 

Facebook | BandCamp

SHUN = S/T (Album Review)

 

Release Date: June 04th 2021. Record Label: Small Stone Recordings. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

SHUN - S/T - Tracklisting

1.Run

2.Sleepwalking

3.At Most

4.Machina

5.Undone

6.Near Enemy

7.A Wooden House

8.Heese

9.Once Again

Members

Jeff Baucom: bass

Matt Whitehead: vocals and guitar

Rob Elzey: drums

Scott Brandon: guitar and vocals

Additional musicians:

Mark Morton: guitar solo on "Heese"

J Robbins: various percussion

Review

SHUN is a band made up of 4 highly talented musicians who share their love and passion for all things Hard Rock on their debut full length album. SHUN's debut album features 9 tracks of Hard Rock/Stoner Metal grooves with the band bringing in elements of Psych Rock, Alt Rock and Noise Rock with a gloomy Psychedelic Doom based vibe.

The album impresses from the excellent opening few tracks with SHUN bringing a Psychedelic Doom flavour to the mix with opening song Run. A song that sees SHUN start with quite an enthusiastic approach to the Doom/Stoner Metal genres with a Space Rock sound that moves effortlessly into Prog Rock territory.

The 1st song Run does give you a great indication of the type of musical journey the album will take the listener upon within the 9 songs held on the album. Though, SHUN allow themselves the chance to play fast and loose with genre conventions on different parts of the album with songs such as Sleepwalking and At Most bringing TOOL based Prog Rock theatrics to a leaner style of Doom/Stoner Metal. 

The vocals from Matt and Scott are constantly engaging and evolving with each song on the album but it’s the music that impresses the most with SHUN bringing a modern Alternative approach to how the music is played and delivered to the listener.

I’ve seen these guys compared to TOOL, HUM and LO-PAN in various articles and press releases and there is a shade of truth to that statement. However, SHUN really do prove they can stand their own creative ground especially on the later stages of the album with songs such as: Undone, Near Enemy, Heese and Once Again featuring some of the heaviest and most spaced out parts of the album.

To the casual observer, SHUN’s debut album may not offer anything new or exciting to entice them with but look a bit deeper and you will be surprised with an album that’s quite inventive and a little bit different from the usual Stoner Rock/Metal albums currently being released. 

The album is a BIG ADVENTURE and takes the listener on an EXCITING JOURNEY within the vastness of Progressive Rock and Stoner Metal. 

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Earsplit PR for the promo. SHUN will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Small Stone Recordings from June 04th 2021.

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp

LITTLE JIMI Announce Details of New Album - The Cantos

French heavy prog-psych trio LITTLE JIMI are back with their new LP 'The Cantos', to be released worldwide 20th August (digital) and 17th September (LP) via Mrs Red Sound. 

LITTLE JIMI's upcoming record 'The Cantos' is none other than the sonic initiation story of Jimi, a strange kid whose schizophrenic personality is a doorway toward an in-depth introspective and fanciful musical universe. Space rock, trippy doom and a bit of grunge are perfectly mixed here, bearing elements as disparate as hypnotic and mythological riffs in the vein of Mr. Bison or Elephant Tree, and All Them Witches's creative subtlety.

Wrapped in an efficient fuzzy fog and peppered by pounding drums, "Last Cantos" is a highly psychedelic and mystic song. The topics are directly borrowed from the Greek mythology, and its rise in power is absolutely addictive. Video by Jimmy Kinast and Benjamin Monnereau, helped by Clément Pelo

Commenting on the album the band say: "The Cantos project - music and artwork - is inspired by writings about travel, such as Homer's Odyssey. It has been a common thread for the whole musical creation, we knew where we wanted to go from the beginning. We took as time as we needed to write and create this record, we didn't rush so nothing was left to chance. The Cantos is an item that we are really proud of."

The artwork - by Emy Rojas from Arrache-toi Un Oeil art studio - illustrates the album's six tracks by staging Jimi and his friend Katus (teddy bear/monster as strange as dangerous).

Recorded at Mana Studio (Chateauneuf, France) by Manuel Meslier and mastered par Pierre Etchandy, their upcoming album 'The Cantos' is coming out on August 20th 2021 on digital and on September 17th 2021 on LP via Mrs Red Sound, the record label created by Mars Red Sky.

LITTLE JIMI new album The Cantos Out August 20th (digital) and September 17th (LP) Via Mrs Red Sound - PRE-ORDER

TRACK LISTING:

1. First Cantos
2. The Way
3. Palace Afternoon
4. Matchetehew

5. Indian Rain
6. Last Cantos XXIV

LITTLE JIMI:

Benjamin Monnereau: guitar, vocals
Guillaume Arancibia: guitar, backing vocals
Antoine Le Gall: drums

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Twitter

Thanks to Shake Promotion for all of the details.

KVASIR Announces Debut Full-length '4' via Glory Or Death Records

Kvasir, the being of Norse mythology, was born from the saliva of the god clans Aesir (war) and Vanir (fertility) after they collectively spit berries into a mash. Kvasir traveled far and wide teaching and spreading his knowledge until the dwarfs Fjalar and Galar killed him and drained his blood. Their mixing his blood with honey resulted in the Mead of Poetry, said to imbue the drinker with poetic prowess and wisdom, the spread of which eventually introduces poetry to mankind.

Kvasir, the band, hails from North Portland, Oregon, and is the sum of Christopher Lee (vocals, guitar), Greg Traw (guitar), Jay Erbe (drums), and Gabriel Langston (bass). Originating as a trio formed by Lee and Traw some years prior, they released a debut EP, ‘Space’, in April 2018, with a second EP ‘The Hanged Man & The Emperor’ out only a few months later in September.

 
Kvasir coalesced into a four-piece with Langston and Erbe during 2019 and began to steadily grow a reverential following in their local Portland scene. Kvasir then branched out on pre-pandemic regional tours around the Pacific Northwest. They remained productive during 2020 with the release of a single, 'I And Thou' in June. The band also completed recording their upcoming debut full-length.

The new album, entitled '4', is set for release through Glory Or Death Records at the end of June 2021.

'4' Tracklist:

01. Where Gods Go To Pray
02. Authenticity
03. Slow Death Of Life
04. Earthly Algorithms
05. Chill For A Church
06. The Brink
07. The Black Mailbox
08. Alchemy of Identity

Blending a melodic palate with technical appetites, Kvasir’s distinctive brand of Sabbath worship is tinged in traditional metal with elements of funk, jazz, and art composition. Incorporating progressive elements into a classic foundation lets the songcraft both tell a story and fully rip. At its heart, Kvasir is a heavy rock band. Sounds simple, right? But somehow, just like mixing blood with honey, the result is more than the sum of its parts.

The debut Kvasir full-length ‘4’ is due out on Monday, June 28th, 2021, on Glory Or Death Records. Stay tuned for more...

KVASIR is:

Jay Erbe - Drums
Gabriel Langston - Guitar
Christopher Lee - Guitar, Vocals
Greg Traw - Bass

KVASIR Online:

https://kvasirpdx.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/KvasirPDX/
https://www.instagram.com/kvasirpdx/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/2H3THmhXn56ZyrAVw65W2h
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbpiQoi9FHOZiokHo4XaK7Q

Thanks to Leanne at Mettle Media PR for all of the info.

PAK40 - Bunker (Album Review)

Release date: March 05th 2021. Label: Panurus Productions / Inverted Grim Mill Recordings. Format: CD/DD/Cassette

Bunker – Tracklisting

1.Sausage Roll 08:08
2.Rain 10:05
3.Hollow Man 06:58
4.U-96 05:08
5.Pyramid 05:40
6.Elephant 14:47
7.Bunker 07:18

Members

Andy Glen - Bass, vocals
Leo Hancill - Drums, vocals

Review

Bunker is the debut album UK Sludge/Doom Duo PAK40 and it sees the band have a heavy reliance on Drone and Noise Rock to get their industrially raw message across. The album is quite experimental and heavily distorted with PAK40 delivering almost 60 minutes of Sludge/Doom Metal madness with an eerie Garage Rock atmosphere.

Helping them along the way is Esben Williams of MONOLORD fame who helped master the album which is also backed by fantastic work Niklas Pietsch and Christian 'Krischan' Deimel who produced, recorded and mixed the album. This gives the album an almost “Street Level” and “Dirty” feel. Some folks may think the album is too slow moving in places but it allows the listener to soak everything that is played in front of them.

The opening two songs – Sausage Roll and Rain – are progressive and experimental with PAK40 offering a fine balance between Industrial based Doom, Drone and Sludge Metal with that Noise Rock balance holding everything together. With this also being a Drum and Bass duo, the grooves are powerful and plentiful that seem to last an age. The music does have a “Stoner Metal” quality to it all and I can see why these guys have been compared to OM recently. As they do create long passages of post-Doom/Stoner music which then explodes into a loud volume of noise.

If you don’t like the opening two songs then you won’t enjoy the rest of the album. As PAK40 only become BOLDER and more ADVENTUROUS with the style of music they adapt and use for the rest of the album with Hollow Man, Pyramid, Elephant and Bunker featuring the most “conventional” and “experimental” music on the record.

There is also a warped Psychedelia effect hidden behind the heavy sludgy grooves with PAK40 adding clever FX sounds that bring a fresh air of despair to the album.

If you dig bands such as OM, The Melvins and Big Business then PAK40 have delivered an album just for you. The record maybe confusing at times but it’s never boring. This is an OTT album that delivers the goods. Just be prepared to work hard for your musical “HEAD-BANGING” reward.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Available on Cassette via Panurus Productions and CD via Inverted Grim Mill Recordings

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp

MOONSHINE BOOZE Release New Video For TROUBLEMAN

MOONSHINE BOOZE NEW VIDEO FOR TROUBLEMAN

Alternative Blues Rockers MOONSHINE BOOZE release a new video for TROUBLEMAN from their recently released album Pandemonio

“Troubleman” symbolizes the condition of a man and his journey in our contemporary world.

A man increasingly marginalized by fake progress which, quietly creates economic inequalities and social discrimination. An individual dragged down with his own demons, consecrating him as the architect and victim of his constant troubles.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp

SNAIL - Fractal Altar (Album Review)

 

Release Date: April 30th 2021. Record Label: Argonauta Records. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Fractal Altar - Tracklisting

1.Mission From God 02:43

2.Nothing Left For You 05:06

3.Not Two 03:49

4.Hold On 03:08

5.The False Lack 04:37

6.When The Tree Spoke 03:55

7.Draining White 05:06

8.Fractal Altar 08:53

Members

Matt Lynch

Marty Dodson

Mark Johnson

Review

Fractal Altar is the first album in 6 Years from Seminal Stoner Rockers Snail and it’s quite a wild ride with the musical stylings and the lyrics the band have written for this album. Snail have always been one of the most daring Stoner Rock bands of the last 13 years since they reformed and releasing a string of well received albums during that time. The band go for OTT Psychedelics and gloomy ideas that leave a dark after-thought with some of the songs especially on the 1st half of the album.

Fractal Altar is a fast-paced affair with the excellent opening two songs - Mission From God and Nothing Left For You. There is a hard-rocking FUZZ Engine under the hood powering the great riffs and sounds contained on both songs. The music moves from Psych Rock to Stoner Rock with a sleazy attitude influenced from 70s Hard Rock and Doom Metal. Though having an infectious attitude helps the band capture a vintage Psych Stoner Rock atmosphere.

Snail embraces their Power-Trio roots as the record has that “Classic Power Trio” sound with each member bringing their “A” game to the party. The album has a streetwise and punk rock attitude for the majority of the songs and the production is “in your face” at times but the album still sounds superb from start to finish especially on the mellower parts of the album.

The album does have a 60s/70s attitude on some of the songs such as Not Two which starts rather sweet and innocent before moving into Proto-Stoner Doom based madness. One of my favourite aspects of the album appears on this song and Snail runs away with that style of music for the rest of the album.

Other great songs are: Hold On, False Luck, Draining White and the superb title track - Fractal Altar which sees Snail for slightly more progressive ideas and leaving the listener ultimately wanting to hear more. Fractal Altar also features an appearance from Ed Mundell (Monster Magnet) on guitars.

As you can see by the album cover, Snail ventures into areas of Psychedelic Spaced Out Rock. So expect a trippy and surreal experience that perhaps only a few bands within the Stoner Rock/Metal scene can deliver and SNAIL are one of those bands.

2015’s Feral still remains my favourite SNAIL record but this album isn’t too far behind. It’s definitely their most inventive record to date and will keep long time devotees of the band richly entertained for a long time to come.

Words by Steve Howe

Fractal Altar is available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Argonauta Records now.

Links:

Official | Facebook | BandCamp

Prosperina - FLAG (Album Review)

Release Date: May 21st 2021. Record Label: Self Released. Format: CD/DD

FiLAG - Tracklisting

1.Deep Never 04:52

2.A New Cold 07:30

3.Art Nouveau 05:09

4.Drunk On The Blood Of Tokyo 03:56

5.Boot 03:48

6.Flag 05:37

7.Runner In The Maze 06:10

8.Perhentian Storm 06:18

Review

FLAG is the new album from Welsh Powerhouse Rockers Prosperina and their first album in almost 7 years. FLAG was meant to be released back in March 2019 but the band were one of the unfortunate victims of PledgeMusic. Money had been pledged by their fans for the making of this album and when that company went bust with all the money raised, Prosperina did the honourable thing and met their fans' pledge commitments and released this album. Perhaps at a huge financial cost to the band as well .So whilst my respect for Prosperina has never waivered, it has grown considerably for them with the release of FLAG.

Prosperina have always been a very hard band to describe. Parts Grunge, Stoner, Doom, Alternative and other Post-esque sounds that are currently flying about. Prosperina creates their own sound which blends ideas and sounds effortlessly from the last 35 years of Alternative Hard Rock and Metal. FLAG is an emotionally tight and quite involving album with powerful heavy grooves being Prosperina’s main weapon of choice. The album may have been recorded a few years ago but it’s an album for our times and shows how the world is pretty much “FUCKED'' at the moment whilst offering huge amounts of uplifting themes.

The opening songs of the album Deep Never, A New Cold and Art Nouveau bring a sludgy dynamic to Prosperina’s overall musical style and if you like your Grunge more Doom and Stoner based with a slightly “Alternative'' feel then the band have all bases covered. The album is more Psychedelic than I was expecting and I enjoyed how everything fits superbly well. 

The dystopian attitude of the album sees Prosperina bring their most inventive style of Progressive Rock/Metal to the party but they never forget their “Grunge/Stoner Rock” roots and that’s no so more evident on the excellent 3 punch combo of - Drunk On The Blood Of Tokyo, Boot and Flag. 

These 3 songs are where Prosperina excels the most on this album. Pitch-perfect vocals from lead vocalist Gethin, highly intelligent lyrics and sublime grooves that all have hidden meaning and depth to them.

The final two songs Runner In The Maze and Perhentian Storm contain the heaviest parts of the albums with the gloomy sounds and lyrics keeping with the “Dystopian” themes of the album. Though, the band’s Psychedelic/Post-Grunge grooves offer moments of uplifting energy along the way.

FLAG is an album with something to say and exceeds on all fronts delivering it’s perfectly timed messages but told through different and thrilling styles of Grunge, Alt-Rock, Stoner Rock and Post-Doom sounds.

Prosperina have delivered their best album to date and I hope this moves the band onto bigger and better things. As they deserve to be more widely acknowledged and known within the Stoner Rock/Metal scene.

Words by Steve Howe

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp

IO - Fire (Album Review)

Release Date: May 21st 2021. Record Label: Argonauta Records. Format: CD/DD

Fire - Tracklisting

1.Third Eye 06:30

2.Fire Walks with Us 10:15

3.Loki Patera 09:18

4.Poseidon (In Lava Sea) 16:28

Members

Valeria – Drums

Fabio – Guitar / Vocals

Stefano – Bass

Review

Fire is the new album from Italian Sludge/Stoner Metallers IO and it’s a steady mix of crushing Doom Metal sounds with traces of dirty LOUD FUZZ injected into the backdrop of their gloomy and distorted atmospheric grooves. The band remains firmly in the more extreme side of Sludge/Stoner Metal with ugly violent vocals leading the way.

IO creates a chaotic and volatile style of Progressive Sludge/Stoner Metal with most of the songs running longer than 9 mins each with the epic final song Poseidon (In Lava Sea) running past the 16 minute mark.

The opening song - Third Eye = is an almost classic style of downbeat Sludge Metal with the band turning to elements of distorted Stoner Metal to level the mood out but this remains one of the more heavier songs I’ve heard recently. There are some light psychedelic and almost jazz based touches towards the end of song but IO return to their “TRUE” selves with bleak long-drawn out sludgy grooves with a nightmarish quality to them.

Second song - Fire Walks With Us - starts very cautiously with slow played mellow guitars with a “DOOM” edge to them. The song shows it’s true colours when the heavier music appears and IO appear more content playing this style of music. The sound is quite raw and the vocals don’t change that fact when they drift in and out from the song. The eerie chants is a very cool touch but it’s the music that’s the winning factor with a superbly played style of Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal that should appeal to fans of CONAN.

The final two songs Loki Patera and Poseidon (In Lava Sea) is where the “real magic” happens with IO playing and writing the best sounds on the album. The 2nd half is more focused and inventive compared to the 1st half. Though, the album as a whole is excellent if you like your Sludge/Stoner Metal with added aggressive tones and extra bite woven into the overall mix of the record.

IO do have a “Cosmic/Spaced Out” flavour to their sound and the band do bring a sense of Psychedelic Craziness to certain parts of the album. So don’t be put off when the heavy riffs disappear and bring an almost Post-Stoner or Psych-Stoner environment to the party.

Fire is a spellbinding and beautifully heavy album that should see IO win a lot of new admirers within the scene.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Mona at All Noir PR for the promo. 

Fire is available to buy now on CD from Argonauta Records

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp

The Hornets Premiere New Song - Female Creed - From Upcoming New Album - Heavier Than A Stone

The coolest nights, you know, happen by chance. For THE HORNETS and the subsequent release of this first album, it was more or less like that. A band formed almost out of boredom, for fun, for leisure, to get out of the usual work routine, to give voice to some love failures, or to flip off a bad day, or simply to escape from other musical projects. The rest is easy: it was enough to attach the guitar to a Fender Supereverb with the volume at 8, a couple of badass drum fills, oh well, the bass (because there must be one...) and Heavier Than A Stone was born. 

These are the simple points from which the idea of the record starts: raw elements, belonging to the each of us, sincere, alive, waiting only for the hands of some asshole (in this case The Hornets) to make them shine and give them a musical life and, of course, they could only be pronounced to the sound of Rock’n’Roll, plain and simple. Everything is seemingly easy, smooth or obvious, that’s nonsense! The realization of all this, and of what has been said, was long, heavy, but at the same time lustful, and the result that was born out of it is just as much!

ABOUT THE BAND 

September 2016; a band is formed basically out of boredom and for no reason: two brothers (experienced by force of circumstances), the neighbor friend and the drummer, who comes in later. Everyone had already some musical experience with them and the results came without problems. A human sound, sincere, all around Seventies! Then, a series of concerts and “one shot-one kill” singles from 2017, until the release of the first album Heavier Than A Stone in the Summer of 2021.

LINE-UP

Stefano Francia | guitar, vocals

Alberto Francia | bass, vocals 

Giovanni Artioli | guitar, vocals 

Andrea Rovituso | drums

To get you into the mood for their upcoming new album "Heavier Than A Stone", we are premiering the new song "Female Creed". So enjoy this great blast of "Garage Rock" energy.

The band have said this about "Female Creed" - Female Creed, not a simple description of the stereotypical female aspect, on the contrary! The opposite! We want to represent the multitude of colors and facets that characterize each of us, without distinction! And to make it clear, who more than a woman can do it!?

Thanks to Dominik at All Noir PR for all of the details.

You can pre-order - Heavier Than A Stone -  from Go Down Records now.

Links

Facebook | Instagram

Somnuri - Nefarious Wave (Album Review)

Release Date: June 04th 2021. Record Label: Blues Funeral Recordings. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Nefarious Wave - Tracklisting

1.Tied to Stone

2.Tooth & Nail

3.Desire Lines

4.Beyond Your Last Breath 05:46

5.Watch the Lights Go Out

6.In The Grey

7.Nefarious Wave

Members

Justin Sherrell — guitars/vocals (also bass on the album)

Philippe Arman — bass

Phil SanGiacomo — drums

Review

Somnuri impressed me greatly when they released their self-titled debut album back in 2017. The band showed their creative might and worth with their blend of harsh Sludge/Doom grooves and upbeat Psychedelic Stoner Metal sounds. The band drew comparisons to bands such as High On Fire, Torche and Mastodon.

Fast forward 4 years later and Somnuri have returned with their new album Nefarious Waves. This record has a much darker and threatening feel to it with the band starting the album quite gloomy with the Sludge/Doom Metal riffs and breakneck vocals building a well-crafted sound. 

Opening song - Tied To Stone - is a bombastic mix of Sludge/Doom Metal sounds and harsh vocals with Somnuri adding clean and upbeat moments to their music. The clean and harsh vocals are mostly separate on this release and allow the listener to get the full “DARK vs LIGHT” approach Somnuri have adopted for this record. The Psychedelic elements just draws you in with the band bringing a dark High On Fire progressive feel to the record.

Second song - Tooth & Nail - is the kind of Progressive Sludge/Stoner Metal that I find the most refreshing to hear and experience. This has that manic early energy that “Mastodon” launched their careers with but Somnuri brings their own cool creative touch to the party. Fast-paced hardcore beats and thrilling Psychedelic moments just have the right EPIC feel despite the trappings of the short 3 minute plus running time of the song.

Third song - Desire Lines - offers the perfect 90s Grunge/Alternative Rock balance with a daring Post-Doom groove that is one of the standout songs on the album. The instrumental work is quite daring especially when Somnuri brings different styles of Psych Rock/Metal into the mix. The vocals have echoes of classic “GRUNGE” which move from upbeat to a more sombre tone. This song has quite a “WOW” factor towards the end of the song.

Somnuri carry on the strong style of sonic and genre experimentation for the rest of the album with an album that always feels “forward-thinking” and allowing the band to be taken on their own hard-hitting creative terms, themes and ideas.

Other great songs to listen to are: Beyond Your Last Breath, Watch The Lights Go Out and the brilliant title song - Nefarious Wave. 

Somnuri have a few tricks up their sleeve on this album and you will be surprised when you hear a genre of music that comes out of nowhere. Some heavy thrash and harsh violent growls await for you on this record. Nefarious Wave is a challenging album to listen to at first but after you experience the album you can spend more time listening to the many different ideas running throughout the album.

Nefarious Wave is a first-rate album which is backed up by wonderful production values. The whole album is quite an adventure and Somnuri deserve credit for expanding their sound for the better when compared to their debut album. This is another “Album Of The Year” contender for myself and I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Claire at Purple Sage PR for the promo. 

Nefarious Wave will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl from Blues Funeral Recordings from June 04th 2021

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp