Z28 - Mach II (Album Review)

Release Date: February 25th 2022. Record Lael: Self Released. Format: DD

Mach II - Tracklisting

1.Loneliness Never Lets Me Down 07:06

2.Wall of Static 07:10

3.Good 'Ol Days 06:50

4.Better Days 06:56

5.Black Sabbath in Italian 04:00

6.Race With the Devil 05:11

7.Ghosts & Goblins 05:31

Members

Jeff Hayward - Vocals, Guitar

J. Negro - Vocals, Bass

Breaux Silcio - Drums, Tambourine, Vocals

Nate Grande - Organ, Keyboard, Backing Vocals

Harmonica on "Better Days" performed by Jay Scheffler

Review

Stoner Metallers Z28 return after an almost three year absence with their new album Mach II. Whilst their debut album was a mixture of Punk Rock,  Desert Rock and KYUSS based Stoner Metal sounds, Mach II sees the band operate with a more Blues Rock open environment. The KYUSS influence is still there but also they move even further into the Classic Rock stratosphere with a highly refined Blues Rock sound and they manage to bring a seedier slice of Classic Hard Rock.

Opening song Loneliness Never Lets Me Down is a  great song to open the album with. As Z28 soon settle into their heavy Blues Rock based Psychedelic Stoner Rock/Metal ways. There is a cool organ being played on certain parts of the song and brings a feeling of The Doors jamming with both Black Sabbath and KYUSS at the same time. There is also the added bonus of Fuzz Rock/Desert Rock soon making its way to the front of Z28’s creative vision.

The first half of the album has the lengthier tracks with the first four songs running around seven minutes each and there is nothing too flashy or progressive with these songs. As the band focus in playing their Sixties and Seventies inspired mix of Blues Rock, Heavy Metal and Hard Rock are given a good Stoner Rock/Metal makeover especially on the standout tracks Wall Of Static, Good 'Ol Days and Better Days. 

Z28 aim high on these songs and the classic heyday of Desert Rock/Stoner Metal is there but the band have way too much fun with the classic sounds of Seventies Hard Rock and Heavy Metal. There are some lovely flourishes of distorted Amplifier Worship and Psychedelic weirdness on Wall Of Static and Better Days.

The second half of the album is less frenzied but still equally impressive with Black Sabbath In Italian and Race with The Devil leaning more into Doom Rock with Z28 still offering genuine different waves of excitement for this album.

Mach II is a superbly produced and well observed album packed full of different heavy mood pieces over the last fifty years of Hard Rock and Heavy Metal whilst still holding that modern day streetwise Stoner Metal attitude.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

Facebook | BandCamp

Idle Death - Year Of Dread (Album Review)

Release Date: January 28th 2022. Record Label: Idle Deaf Records. Format: DD

Year Of Dread - Tracklisting

1.Fix Me, Heal Me 07:39

2.Burn Pile 06:10

3.Evil Is Contagious 06:00

4.Misery 06:06

5.Buried And Blind 07:08

Members

Jason Micah - Vocals

Tom Tier - Drums

Scott Coffey - Bass

Mark Lundberg - Guitar

Review

Year Of Dread is the debut release from Blackened Sludge/Black Metallers Idle Death and with a band operating in such despair and misery you can expect to hear a bleak musical vision that has its roots in Doom Metal and Sludge Metal. The instrumental work moves from modern day Heavy Metal to the more extreme style of music with surprisingly clean vocals on the excellent opening song Fix Me, Heal Me. The lyrics are very hard-edged and the grooves have an alternative feel to the despite the bleakness of the music.

With the majority of the songs running past the six minute mark, Idle Death are quite progressive without actually being labelled as such. With this being a demo, the record is very rough around the edges but one that still possesses excellent production values.

The next two songs Burn Pile and Evil Is Contagious is where Idle Death impresses the most as the Blackened part of their musical vision truly comes into play with superb grooves that have GRIT, STEEL and EXTRA BITE. The cold sounding Psychedelic elements are a cool touch but Idle Death never moves far away from their dark musical background. 

There is a lot to admire on this debut demo release with one being the journey the band takes you upon. There’s nothing subtle about this release. It’s z bleak onslaught of heavy pounding riffs that have a high amount of fast beats and gigantic breakdowns. 

Overall, Year Of Dread is a welcome distraction from the usual Doom/Sludge Metal releases currently out there and showcases a band to definitely keep an eye on for future releases.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

Facebook | BandCamp

Frozen Planet....1969 - Not From 1969 (Album Review)

Release Date: January 25th 2022. Record Label: Pepper Shaker Records. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Not From 1969 - Tracklisting

1.Diamond Dust 10:44

2.Strangelands 07:07

3.Dissolver 27:08

Review

Not From 1969 is the tenth album from Aussie Psych Stoner Rockers Frozen Planet…1969 and it’s the first album I’ve ever reviewed by them. That’s not to say I’m a total outsider to the band’s weird, trippy and sometimes surreal world. I’m not. I’m a fan of Frozen Planet….1969 and dig their music a great deal though I’m a few albums out of sync as they’re quite prolific. With that being said I enjoyed Not From 1969 immensely.

A record spread across three lengthy tracks which sees the band explore their Progressive bound Space/Stoner Rock through extended jams and psychedelic soundscapes. The album is quite loud and experimental with the band showing their true creative worth. There’s a 60’s and 70’s identity running throughout this album and if you dig music such as HAWKWIND and EARTHLESS then this will be your extended JAM.

The album is quite jazzy in places and has a cool Surf Rock groove that you can hear in the excellent opening song Diamond Dust. Sprinkle some Middle Eastern vibes and this is perhaps the most far-out that Frozen Planet….1969 have been in quite some time. The song lasts over ten minutes and there’s a lot to digest on this track but it’s a superbly played song from start to finish.

The remaining two songs Strangelands and Dissolver follow the same creative path with even weirder extended jams coming into play and dark flashes of Psychedelic Stoner Rock. The final song Dissolver is on for a mouth-watering twenty seven minutes plus and Frozen Planet….1969 live upto the WILD EXCESS OF THE ROCK & ROLL LIFESTYLE on this song. Mind-blowing and Over The Top in equal measure this is one of the best musical compositions I’ve heard from the band yet and shows a different side to the band.

Overall, Not From 1969 lives on the right side of 60’s Psychedelic Rock before head-diving into the darker surroundings of 70’s based Space Rock/Stoner Rock for an album that builds up to a thrilling climax and leaves you wanting more.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

Facebook | BandCamp

Copper Feast Records Announce Details For Fuzz Meadows New Album Orange Sunshine

Copper Feast Records Announce Details For Fuzz Meadows New Album Orange Sunshine

Bio

Fuzz Meadows are a 3-piece psychedelic rock band from Melbourne, Australia. Featuring members of other local favourites The Black Heart Death Cult, Silurian and Ninety Ninety Hate, this trio have forged their own unique sound that’s described as ranging from crushingly heavy to transcendingly beautiful instrumentals.

Who They Are:

Domenic Evans – Guitar
Prince Jayasundera – Drums
Louis Smith – Bass

Recorded at Vagabond Studios, June 2021
Produced by Fuzz Meadows
Engineered, mixed and mastered by Josh Bills
Artwork by Louis Smith

Label Info

https://copperfeastrecords.bandcamp. com
Instagram - @copperfeastrecords 

Twitter - @copperfeast
facebook.com/copperfeastrecords 

https://www.copperfeastrecords.com

For Fans Of

Khan
Comacozer
We Lost the Sea
Earthless
Somali Yacht Club

About the Album

Having spent several years touring their early works around Melbourne which culminated in the release of their debut EP ‘Dogma/Clairvoyance’, Fuzz Meadows, three best mates with a shared love of intense riffs, cinematic climaxes and bone shattering instrumentals, bunkered down to compose ‘Orange Sunshine’ their debut full length offering to the world.

The majesty of Fuzz Meadows’ debut release is in the journey, with gorgeously crafted heavy psych instrumentals twisting around through influences embedded in post rock and metal as well as a hearty smattering of stoner rock and shoegaze while bringing all of these elements together to cultivate a voyage that’s both earth-shakingly heavy at its core while ascending to euphoric climaxes. The listener can do no more but strap in and take a ride on Fuzz Meadows’ wave.

Tracklisting

1. You Are The Void
2. Reach
3. Orange Sunshine
4. Death Echo
5. Benji

Running Time

41 min

Label

Copper Feast Records

Genre

Psychedelic / Stoner Rock

Location

Melbourne, VIC, Australia

Artist Social Links 

facebook.com/fuzzmeadows band
Instagram - @fuzzmeadows
https://fuzzmeadows.bandcamp.com/

Format

Digital – Out 6th May 2022
Coloured Vinyl – Pre-order from 4th March 2022

Tuskar - Matriarch (Album Review)

Release Date: February 25th 2022. Record Label: Church Road Records. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Matriarch - Tracklisting

Matriarch

To The Sky

The Trees, The Trees, The Trees

Halcyon Gilt

Into The Sea

Shame

Grave

Members

Tom Dimmock - Guitars

Tyler Hodges - Vocals, Drums

Review

To say i’ve been looking forward to Tuskar’s debut album Matriarch is a bit of an understatement. I’ve been a fan of the band ever since their debut EP released back in 2017 and subsequent releases. I’ve featured them on the blog many times over the years and I have to say their debut album is a colossal release that sees Tuskar meet their huge potential but one that could see these guys reach the elite of the UK Sludge/Doom/Stoner Metal scene.

Matriarch is an album built on aggressive Sludge, Doom and Stoner Metal sounds whilst bringing a Post-Rock, Punk Rock and Psychedelic edge to proceedings. Can you remember when Mastodon and Baroness released Heavy Progressive Sludge Metal albums before settling for their modern day Hard Rock sound, well Tuskar are bringing that style of Sludge/Stoner Metal to the masses whilst still forging a heavy and powerful identity of their own.

Opening song is the stunning title track Matriarch which runs almost twelve minutes in length with Tuskar playing a style of heavy progressive Sludge/Stoner Metal that has elements of Drone throughout. The music veers slow-paced atmospherics to faster hardcore based aggression with the vocals being multi-layered. The instrumental work is powerful and quite subtle which makes for a more fearful experience. For a two-piece band, TUSKAR feel they have more members.. 

Second song To The Sky is classic sounding Prog Sludge/Stoner Metal with the band taking that classic Mastodon style once again but giving it more ethereal feeling with trippy vocals and lyrics to match. The Stoner influence is very strong with this song but Tuskar still doing their own thing with a mixture of harsh and clean vocals giving the band a more threatening position. The music can be quite deafening in places but there are a few cool Psychedelic touches that bring the volume down to more manageable levels of Post-Doom or Post-Stoner bliss. Though, the cool THRASH based beats and breakdowns will give listeners more to chew on.

The opening two songs allows Tuskar to show listeners what Matriarch is all about but still having the creative opportunity to try their hands at different things such as the wonderfully psychedelic third song The Trees, The Trees, The Trees which I would expect from Instrumental bands such as Yawning Man or Earthless. 

Maybe I’ve name checked too many bands in this review but it’s only to show what style of music that is held on the record.

Other standout songs include: Halcyon Gilt, Into The Sea and Shame. With Tuskar showing a wealth of creativity and different levels of Psychedelic and Progressive based heaviness. I also admire the raw production parts of the album that gives this album a more organic sound and atmosphere.

Matriarch will not only be one of the best debut albums you’ll hear this year but potentially one of the very  best albums of the year. Tuskar have released something special with Matriarch and I can see them playing on some of the biggest Sludge, Doom and Stoner Metal stages very soon. These guys are going to be HUGE in the years to come.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Primate PR for the promo

Matriarch will be released on CD/DD/Vinyl via Church Road Records from February 25th 2022.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp

Low Tide Riders Premiere New EP WICKED In Full Ahead Of It's Release On February 25th February

Formed in 2017 in the Brazilian city of Curitiba the band Low Tide Riders is an effervescent mix of influences. With members from different segments, ranging fro Hardcore to Metal, including Stoner Rock, the quartet delivers their sound with a powerful truth.

Featuring in their formation experienced names from the local scene the band is composed by João Carlos (vocals), Hell Santos (bass), Maurício Albiero (guitar) and Carlos Sabião (drums), each one with their own background and a remarkable contribution to the band. Hardcore, Stoner, Classic Rock, Heavy Metal, elements of each style are included in the sound presented by the group, which results in something free of labels in the end, allowing each listener to absorb the energetic sound of the band in a different way.



Even having a relatively short time of existence Low Tide Riders has an interesting and attractive curriculum. The guys officially debuted in the second half of 2020 with "The Road", a four-track EP that introduced the band's potential and energy to the public with a explosive mix of Stoner Rock, Metal and Hard Rock. 

At the end of tbe same year they presented "Live At Fuzz Studio" capturing live all the sound power of the group in an impeccable recording. Earlier this year the band delivered one of their new tracks called "Stand Up or Rise Up" in a recording on the iconic. TENDA, shown on Studio Tenda's Youtube, dedicated to recording bands.

Now the band prepares the way for "Wicked", a new EP scheduled for release on
February 25th. The EP features 3 unreleased compositions and a re-recording. The
record was made at the end of 2021 at Fuzz Studio and again has the production of
Diogo Zotto. The evolution of the band is evident, now bringing even more layers,
more complex lines and "sing-alongs" that promise to shake up the shows. The seventies references allied to low tunings are already a trademark of the band.

PRE ORDER / BUY "WICKED" https://lowtideriders.bandcamp.com/album/wicked-ep

FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM

Thanks to Low Tide Riders and Matheus at Bruxa Verde PR for the premiere of the EP which you can hear below. Our review will follow in the next few days.

Firebreather - Dwell In The Fog (Album Review)

Release Date: February 25th 2022. Record Label: RidingEasy Records.  Format: DD/CD/Vinyl

Dwell In The Fog - Tracklisting

Kiss Of Your Blade

Dwell In The Fog

Weather The Storm

Sorrow

The Creed

Spirit’s Flown

Members

Mattias Nööjd - Guitar/Vocals

Nicklas Hellqvist - Bass

Axel Wittbeck - Drums

Review

Dwell In The Fog is the third album from Sweden’s Sludge Metal Titans Firebreather and it feels the band have come of age with this release. With its uncompromising blend of High On Fire style Sludge/Stoner Metal grooves and Monolord-esque Spaced Out Heaviness but still allowing Firebreather playing their own vivid and original style of Apocalyptic Doom/Sludge Metal.

Opening song Kiss Of Your Blade is full of razor sharp riffs that veer from modern day heavy Sludge/Stoner Metal to a progressive style of Psychedelic Doom with gruff and grizzled vocals from lead singer Mattias. The vocals are clean but quite aggressive which is what you need for this style of music. Firebreather do a damn good job of moving the atmosphere along at a stunning fast pace when compared to their previous releases. The mood of the record is quite serious and the album never backs off from that style of music for the rest of the album.

Second song Dwell In The Fog starts rather quietly with a Post-Doom/Post-Rock groove before descending back into the Sludge/Stoner Metal limelight with intricate riffs and fantastical guitar solos which could have been considered too “flashy” in places but Firebreather manage to stay on the right side of seriousness with first rate musicianship from all members of the band. The song has the right balance of Progressive Sludge/Stoner Metal sounds and Psychedelic Cosmic Heaviness that Swedish Sludge/Stoner Metal is becoming well known for.

The majority of the songs on Dwell In The Fog may all follow a similar structure but this album remains utterly captivating with the different levels and attitudes of Metal and Hard Rock that Firebreather employ on this album.  

Boosted by first rate production values, the album oozes violent charm and aggression that shines through on songs such as: Weather The Storm, Sorrow and Spirit’s Flown. Perhaps my favourite songs on the album with Firebreather managing to play their own original style of music that sees them finally becoming one of the best bands from the Swedish underground Sludge/Stoner Metal scene.

Dwell In The Fog is a dynamically powerful album with Firebreather releasing their best record to date. If you’re looking for your next fix of top-level Swedish Sludge/Stoner Metal riffs then Firebreather are the band for you. This is an undeniably thrilling experience with Firebreather releasing perhaps another Album Of The Year Contender.

This is a must have album. Add this to your collection when you have the chance to.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to US/THEM PR and Palmer Turner Overdrive for the promo

Dwell In the Fog will be released on CD/DD/Vinyl via RidingEasy Records from February 25th 2022.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp

AcidSitter Release New Video For New Song STAYWATCH

AcidSitter - a musical association of experienced psychonauts from Krakow, exploring a wide range of psychedelia with rock’n’roll passion and punk energy.

Members 

Tetsuya Nara (Tumbling Walls, Rajka)

Rafał Klimczak (Neal Cassady, Świniary)

Tomek Głuc (Neal Cassady, Nucleon)

Filip Franczak ( Fractals, Tumbling Walls, Kaseciarz). 

If Roky Erickson were alive, he would have liked it. So, that’s it. Tune in. Set in. Drop dead.

PS. Make Acid Great Again!

You can watch the video for their new song Staywatch

Links

Facebook | BandCamp

Majestic Mountains Records Fest OSLO - June 2022

MAJESTIC MOUNTAIN FEST 𝙊𝙎𝙇𝙊

Majestic Mountain Records is kicking off 2022 with a bang and are very excited to bring you the first annual Majesticst in Oslo!

A two-day riff-fest of gargantuan proportions to commence the 17-18 of June at Blitz Oslo plus a killer pre-party gig to kick off the entire weekend on Thursday the 16th at the coolest basement venue in town, Revolver.

(Pre-Party kick-off details to come with its own event.)

This is going to be a very special event with some incredibly cool details and exclusive performances by Majestic Mountain Records roster bands from all over, and we cannot wait to celebrate the return of live music with you. Join us for head bangs and rad hangs in June!

Confirmed bands so far!

Kal-El
Saint Karloff
Mama Doom
Jointhugger
Old Horn Tooth
Electric Hydra
Grand Cadaver
The King's Pistol
Bogwife
Häxmästaren

And what do we have for you today?

Ooooh just some early bird tickets for Majestic Mountain Fest Oslo!

You want those? Well, bam! Here you go! Are you excited?

We sure as hell are and cannot wait to get our heavy, loud hangs on with you.

Click that link, get those tickets and we will see you at Blitz for all the riffs, beers and cheers this June!

More bands to be announced!

**Tickets are sold in Swedish Kronor.**

BUY EARLY BIRD TICKETS NOW

Smoke - Groupthink (Album Review)

Release Date: February 11th 2022. Record Label: Self Released.  Format: DD

Groupthink - Tracklisting

1.Groupthink 06:07

2.Temple 05:32

3.One Eyed King 18:44

4.Davidian 06:03

5.The Son of Man 06:58

6.Supplication of Flame 06:46

7.TELAH 08:04

Members

Dalton - Guitar/Vocals

Ben - Guitar

Alex - Drums

Braxton - Bass

Review

Groupthink is the debut album from Southern Rock/Fuzz/Doom Metallers Smoke who are helped along by Sabbathian heavy distorted elements and Psychedelic Stoner Metal for a dark and eerie style of music. The album runs for almost an hour in length with Smoke displaying their Doom Metal credentials down to a fine art with some epic slices of Prog Rock along the way but more about that later.

The album opens up with the stunning title track with Smoke displaying a cool slow paced atmosphere with the multiple levels of distorted noises and sounds that range from classic Doom Metal to seedy Stoner Metal with the Fuzz/Southern Rock influence sandwiched in between for a meatier style of music. The instrumental music does sound and feel quite raw but it allows Smoke to dictate their own style of music for a song that holds your attention superbly well. There is an aggressive tone and seediness to Dalton’s vocals that are also quite relaxing when the quieter moments appear. 

Second song Temple starts with a Post-Doom/Post-Stoner groove with laid-back vocals setting the scene but listen to the lyrics and you can hear that this song has a dark element running within and Smoke soon bust out into “AMPLIFIER WORSHIP” and “LOW & SLOW” theatrics. The music becomes more powerful and threatening with the Psychedelic vibe moving the heaviness of the album up a notch in the volume stakes. Smoke shows a seedier FUZZIER outlook on this song that allows this song to be one of the standout tracks on the album.

The standout track on this album has to be the next song One Eyed King that lasts a mouthwatering eighteen minutes in length. With Smoke aiming for a bombastic and theatrical approach where they cover a lot of ground in the world of Southern Rock, Doom Metal and Stoner Metal. This is where Smoke lets their creativity run wild. You can’t deny the impressive musical display on here. The song is wickedly deceptive as well with Smoke going in many different directions you wouldn’t expect. Flashes of different styles of music allows Smoke to build up and play the best grooves and guitar solos on the album. 

Smoke still has around thirty minutes to prove their creative worth here on the remaining four songs and they just do that especially on songs such as Davidian, The Son Of Man and TELAH. The music doesn’t change that drastically from the first half of the album but there’s more in the way of Prog Rock theatrics but still remaining close to the sounds of the earlier songs. Heavy distorted grooves and slow-paced moments are used wisely for a record that’s not afraid to take creative risks when the time calls for it.

The production is excellent throughout with the album having the right style of modern finesse and a fantastic classic vintage sound. Groupthink is a wonderfully action-packed album and if you dig your Doom/Stoner Metal with a Southern based feel with hints of Fuzz Rock and Psych Rock but with nods to bands such as Uncle Acid, SLEEP and Black Sabbath then you’re going to love this like I did.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Mount Desert - Fear The Heart (Album Review)

Release Date: February 12th 2022. Record Label: Self Released.  Format: DD

Fear The Heart - Tracklisting

1.Blue Madonna 04:18

2.New Fire 05:43

3.The River I 03:36

4.The River II 04:31

5.Fear The Heart 06:15

6.Semper Virens 06:51

7.The Wail 06:38

Members including Guest Appearances

Scott Weiser - guitar/vox/bass/percussion

Jordan Norton - drums/percussion/spoken word

Additional musicians on The River I:

Mei Lin Heirendt - fiddle

Robert Heirendt - mbira

Review

Fear The Heart is the debut album from Californian Desert Rock/Post-Rock/Stoner Metal outfit Mount Desert as they offer a bleak landscape in scorched dusty soundscapes with a progressive outlook on things. Shades of ELDER, All Them Witches, Weedpecker and Pink Floyd combine with the sludgy heaviness of Neurosis and Pelican for a spirited and aggressive listen.

Taking their lyrical inspiration from All Them Witches romanticism with a Pink Floyd narrative. Mount Desert do sound and feel like a truly original band branching out on their own terms. Psychedelic grooves are interlaced with heartfelt vocals for songs that stay very true to the genres they encompass on the entire record.

The opening two songs Blue Madonna and New Fire allows Mount Desert to set the rules for this album and what to expect with the band playing bleak sonic desert sounds and progressive Stoner Metal and stripped back Post-Rock/Post-Metal passages. These two songs do have a bleak and desolate Californian Desert atmosphere to them with the lyrics adding extra emotional weight to proceedings.

The rest of the album continues with this spiritual sound with the stunning two part opus that is The River I and The River II that ultimately becoming one of the best parts of the album before Mount Desert unleash more therapeutic heaviness with the fantastic final three songs of: Fear The Heart, Semper Virens and The Wall.

Fear The Heart is a highly accomplished album with stunning production values behind it all. For a duo these guys sound like they have more members in the band and that’s down to this being a very multi-layered album with different styles of music from start to finish.

Overall, this is a wonderful and dark take on the standard take of Desert Rock/Stoner Metal and allows this album to be a must have record and an early contender for one of the year’s best albums.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

Linktree | BandCamp