CONAN - Evidence Of Immortality (Album Review)

Release Date: August 19th 2022. Record Label: Napalm Records. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Evidence Of Immortality - Tracklisting

A Cleaved Head No Longer Plots

Levitation Hoax

Ritual Of Anonymity

Equilibrium Of Mankind

Righteous Alliance

Grief Sequence

Members

Jon Paul Davis - Vocals/Guitars

Chris Fielding - Vocals/Bass

Johnny King - Drums

Review

Doom Metal Heavyweights Conan are back with their new album Evidence Of Immortality and it's another masterclass of BATTLE CAVEMAN DOOM. Their self styled Down Tuned blend of Doom Metal has been entertaining the underground hordes for over a decade now and that will be continuing with this record. Heavy slabs of Doomed Out Fuzz and Stoner Metal with more thunderous drumming allowing the band to be a heavier unit than ever before.

Conan brings a more Psychedelic and Fuzzier down-tuned sound for the album which you're treated to on the excellent opening track A Cleaved Head No Longer Plots which has a more sinister Progressive feel.

 

The superb vocals from Jon and Chris breathe life into this heavy tale of Doom based debauchery with the fantastic drumming being one of the main highlights of the album. Epic guitar solos reign supreme on the later stages of the song that does allow Conan the opportunity to try some wonderfully inventive Psychedelic vibes that we haven't heard from them before.

The next two songs of Levitation Haze and Ritual Of Anonymity are classic CONAN through and through. This is their "bread and butter" within the Doom Metal underground. The distorted and down-tuned sounds of both tracks are brutally loud with the instrumental work building up solid rhythms throughout especially on Levitation Haze. The vocals are eerie and full of violent intent that Jon truly revels in.

Amplifier Distortion is ever present here with Conan bringing their most brutally entertaining album since their classic debut full length Monnos. I'm a huge fan of Conan's impressive discography with Monnos being my absolute favourite release. Evidence Of Immortality is right up there with Monnos followed closely by Blood Eagle.

The final three songs of Equilibrium Of Mankind, Righteous Alliance and Grief Sequence is why I rank this album up there with Monnos and Blood Eagle. As Conan go all out playing, refining and even re-inventing themselves won this album especially on Equilibrium Of Mankind and Grief Sequence. Ambient sounds run amok with their trademark Fuzz based CAVEMAN DOOM grooves. The lyrics and vocals are bleak with a sense of danger to them.

Grief Sequence is where we see a different side to Conan with the band playing an epic fourteen minute plus instrumental song. The band play an eerie style of Funeral Doom with elements of Psych Metal, Sludge Metal and Stoner Metal. The song is wonderfully dark and quite abstract with the creative choices of music that Conan plays here. Perhaps taking a SUNN 0))) and even Pallbearer approach that can be quite daunting and uncomfortable to hear but ultimately leaving the listener wanting to hear more.

The real standout of the album is Johnny King on drums. He's absolutely amazing on this album and sounds like a true BEAST on this record. Jon and Chris do their part as well but Johnny impressed me the most on the album.

Evidence Of Immortality is an exceptional and must have album from Conan that is helped along by first rate production values with Chris doubling down on Producer, Engineering and Mixing duties for the album. James Plotkin helped with mastering the album and it leaves the listener feeling they've taking a right physical beating along the way. 

Words by Steve Howe

Evidence Of Immortality is available to buy now CD/DD/Vinyl now via Napalm Records.

Links

Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Desert Bloom PR, a brand new PR company introduces first client, California’s instrumental post-rock duo IN THE PONDS

Desert Bloom PR, a brand new PR company introduces first client, California’s instrumental post-rock duo IN THE PONDS

In The Ponds: For fans of: Earth, Grails, The Dead Weather, Cortége, Droneroom

San Jose-based instrumental post-rock duo IN THE PONDS will release their debut EP, Polar Night on October 19th, 2022 on ENTELODON RECORDS. Two additional EPs to follow in the coming months—together comprising a full length-worth of material. As the Polar Night release date edges closer, the band will present a video for the track “Lonesome George.”

IN THE PONDS is what happens when a poet and a filmmaker get married and start an instrumental rock band during pandemic lockdowns and California wildfires. It’s when they spend their honeymoon in quarantine, staring at soot-filled skies wondering how to capture feelings of isolation, dread, and love without using words. The result is three EPs that pay homage to classic rock roots while experimenting with non-traditional song structures for a sound that’s both familiar and otherworldly.

This husband-and-wife duo believes that rock should sound like a smoker's cough and taste like shoplifted bourbon. Their guitars move between patient, gravely rhythms and sharp, icy leads while their bass lines lay solid foundations that get nice and punchy when they need to. Atmospheric washes hint at the places where the couple feels most at home, like the Grand Canyon and the Mariana Trench.

In the Ponds is a poet and a filmmaker getting married and starting a band during pandemic lockdowns and California wildfires. It’s the result of a honeymoon spent in quarantine, staring at soot-filled skies wondering how to capture feelings of isolation, dread, and love without using any words at all. It’s living in San Jose, CA with a black cat who sleeps inside speaker cabinets and leaps from impossible heights.

Polar Night and the EPs to follow—Fever Canyon and Last Stop Ranch—were recorded by guitarist David Perez and mixed by Art Bertik. The front cover artwork and the music video for “Lonesome George” were both created by bassist Jennifer Gigantino.

Polar Night Track Listing:

Lonesome George
Someone’s Always Watching
Haruki on the Sand

IN THE PONDS:

David Perez – guitar
Jennifer Gigantino – bass

SOCIAL:

TWITTER
IG
FACEBOOK
BANDCAMP (COMING SOON)

King Legba & The Loas - The Storm Will Scream Your Name // new single & video

Stream "The Storm Will Scream Your Name" on Spotify

"A song about transience, change and what carries us through difficult times." - Tobias Glanzmann / King Legba & The Loas

The new EP "Shine A Light" will be out on September 23rd 2022. Preorder now on 10" vinyl or CD 

The band teamed up with Tomas Skogsberg again. The result is a wild witches brew of fuzzed out guitars, thundering drums, walls of bass guitar and hypnotizing vocals. This time complemented with a psychedelic component unheard on the bands previous releases. “Shine a Light” takes the listener on a journey through a landscape of eclectic songs, which wander between Stoner Rock, blues soaked Sixties-Fuzz-Psychedelic and the Seattle Rock of the 90's.

You can watch the video for the new song below:

King Legba & The Loas on the internet: https://www.facebook.com/kinglegbaandtheloas

An Interview With Zach Amster From Psych Stoner Rockers ABRAMS

Psych Stoner Rockers ABRAMS have steadily been building up a well deserved reputation within the underground Psych Stoner Rock scene thanks to acclaimed albums such as "Lust. Love. Loss.", "Morning" and "Modern Ways". However, they may have released their definitive work to date with their upcoming new album In The Dark.

A stunning mix of Psych Rock, Stoner Rock, Sludge Rock and Ambient Rock. Perhaps influenced by bands such as Torche, Baroness and Mastodon. ABRAMS deliver their own blend of fantastical heavy Psych Stoner/Sludge Rock. 

Newly signed to Small Stone Records, ABRAMS ultimately aim BIG with In The Dark and exceeded on all levels.

I caught up with Zach Amster (Guitars/Vocals) from ABRAMS where we discussed their musical history and the making of the new album. 

Read on what Zack has to say.

Hi Zack. How’s it going? Thanks for doing the interview.

Hi Steve! Doing great, getting ready for the album release which is always exciting but also a little stressful. Thanks for the high praise in your review.

For folks not in the know, can you give a brief history of the band and where it is today/

Hailing from Denver, Colorado we formed in 2013 and have 4 LPs and 1 EP. You can hear the gradual progression with each release from a more post hardcore, sludge sound moving to a more progressive, psychedelic, heavy rock band. Taylor Iversen (Bass/Vox) and I (Zach Amster G/V) are the founding members. 

We are so happy to say we don’t have Spinal Tap syndrome anymore with the addition of our incredible basher Ryan DeWitt who has been with us since Modern Ways (2020). We have recently added our good friend Patrick Alberts on second guitar, formerly of Call of the Void (Relapse Records). Not only has he helped shift the band to a new musical direction, but we can more easily recreate our ‘wall of sound’ in a live setting as a four piece.

How would you describe your music in your own words?

At the end of the day, we are a Heavy Rock band. Like I mentioned previously, you can hear a cool evolution with each record from post hardcore to a more heavy progressive rock band. I believe with our newest release, ‘In The Dark’, we have found our true and honest sound. We’ve recently heard comparisons to Cave In, Quicksand, and Torche which I think pretty rad.

We’re here to talk about your upcoming new album In The Dark. What can people expect for this album?

We are very proud of this record and how it came about. They can expect a slight shift in our sound with a new psyched out, heavy shoegaze element added. I feel like we upped our game in the vocal department. We don’t scream anymore and put a huge emphasis on hooks. The production quality is top notch, thanks to the incredibly talented Dave Otero. I’m still a huge fan of putting on a record and listening front to back. I may be biased but this one flows really well.

A different sound compared to your previous albums. More Progressive and more Ambient in places. Was this the ultimate creative goal for this album to release something different for people to listen to?

For sure! A big part of the shift happened when Patrick brought in ideas of what would become ‘Body Pillow’. We were so stoked on these beautiful riffs, but there was definitely some hesitation that had us asking, "is this an Abrams song?" I'm glad we answered that question rather quickly. This song opened up a lot of doors for us creatively and gave us the confidence to realize it's ok to chill out a little. We realized that we don't have to be blasting on 10 for an entire album let alone an entire song. The playfulness with the dynamics in Body Pillow really helped us create a better vision for how we wanted the record to sound. I think this is one of our favorites because it was just new to us and a slight turn from our past efforts.

What is In The Dark all about and why did you call the album that.

We never had a concept going in. It kind of naturally happened as there is a common lyrical element. Thematically, the song ‘In The Dark’ encapsulates the overall concept of the record. So, it seemed fitting to give it the album title. There is a general concept of not feeling comfortable in your own skin. What appears on the surface often times does not tell the true story of what lies beneath. It’s dark in nature but offers inspiration to overcome. "Not wearing my own skin, it doesn't feel like my own"..."it's the way you act when you're alone"..."when you're in the dark, are you hiding from me, just hold your head up high, it's all you can do".

I’ve been a fan of Abrams ever since your debut album. What a fantastic album that was. Looking back at all of your albums. Were you surprised at the receptions they all received and would you change anything about them?

Thanks! We had a lot of fun with the first record. It’s always nice to receive positive feedback from something you have spent so much time on. I wouldn’t change a damn thing! I love everything about the writing process and each record serves as a stamp in time. When listening back I get pretty nostalgic thinking about all of the memories, good and bad. Hearing the natural evolution and progression from LP1 to this new one really trips me out. As a band, we are very happy with the direction we are heading.

What were the recording sessions like for the new album? Was this a hard album to write and record for?

We recorded with producer/engineer extraordinaire Dave Otero (Khemmis, Cattle Decapitation). Recording is always stressful. It’s expensive and we’re always wondering if we’ll have enough time. Not only is Dave an amazing engineer, he’s a fantastic producer with an amazing ear for melody and harmony. His relaxed demeanor makes for just an overall great time. This was our 3rd time working with Dave and we were the most prepared we’ve been prior to going into the studio (more on that in the next question).

Did you do anything different when recording this album compared to your previous albums?

This was the first time we did any legit pre-production for an album. Previously, we mainly wrote as a unit in the room together. During the heights of the pandemic we did not get together. Instead of going batshit crazy, we beefed up our home recording setups and just demoed pretty much nonstop. This was key in shaping the way the songs turned out, especially for vocals. I learned how much easier it is to write vocal hooks when I put the guitar down and just dig in.

What is the creative process or setup within Abrams? Do you all write the music and lyrics together or do certain people within Abrams do that?

Like I mentioned in the last question, we wrote the majority of this material during the pandemic in isolation. I would demo out mostly full songs to a drum machine. Patrick also came in with a lot of solid riffs and song ideas too. Once we felt comfortable, it was really cool to go from hearing the demos to fleshing them out in the room together. 

The songs took on a new life of their own with each member adding their own personalities to them. Since I used a simple drum machine on the demos, the drums saw this the most. Ryan’s style is very flashy in nature and his influences are different than us. He loves a lot of techy, insane heavy stuff mainly because all of those drummers are incredible. It’s a huge advantage to have this. He comes up with rhythms none of us would have thought of and gives the songs a fresh attitude. It was super cool to see the music go through every filter from demos to rehearsals and then finally to Otero! I write the lyrics I sing and Taylor his. Patrick lended his hand to some lyrics as well.

Who and what influenced your lyrics for the new album?

I write from personal experience so I guess life is my main influence. I try to keep the lyrics on the more ambiguous side of things to leave them open to interpretation.

Who designed the excellent artwork. Very Seventies inspired and heavily Psychedelic which I dig.

Robin Gnista. A fantastic artist who has done a number of album covers, concert posters, and shirts for a lot of amazing bands. He did a fantastic job!

Will you be touring this album heavily in the USA or perhaps even overseas dates in the future?

Yes! We are working on finalizing dates in November for a short West Coast run with our good buddies in the excellent In The Company of Serpents. Those dates will get released as soon as everything is finalized. We plan to hit it harder in 2023. Keep your eyes peeled! We’d absolutely love to make it overseas so if anybody is interested in booking, hit us up!

Small Stone Records are releasing this album. How did you hook-up with that legendary label?

We were introduced by Jesse from the incredible Lo Pan who have 3 releases through Small Stone. I gave Jesse the record, he loved it and sent it over to Scott who contacted us pretty quickly after the fact. We are really excited about this partnership!

How did you get involved with music. Was it a particular album, group or artist that made you want to write and play your own music?

I’d have to credit my Dad. He’s a huge Neil Young and Springsteen fan. Once he got me into grunge I never looked back.

What is the current state of the Denver, Colorado Rock/Metal scene. Do you perform gigs on a regular basis and do you have a local scene that you're actively involved with?

The Denver rock/metal scene is pretty happening. We’ve seen a lot of our friends grow from locals to getting on some big labels and rad tours. It’s a friendly community of musicians where everybody has your back. Touring acts seem to love playing Denver these days with all the awesome venues we have and crowds like to get rowdy in the mile high. We play somewhat frequently around town.

Thanks for doing this interview. Before you go, do you have anything to say to your fans currently out there?

Thanks for listening! Spread the good word and share our music with your friends!

Thanks for the interview!

Words by Steve Howe and Zach Amster

Thanks to Claire at Purple Sage PR for arranging this interview and thanks to Zack for doing this interview.

In The Dark will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Small Stone Recordings from September 9th 2022.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp

DRÖÖG - S/T (Album Review)

Release Date: September 2nd 2022. Record Label: Majestic Mountain Records. Format: CD/DD

DRÖÖG - S/T - Tracklisting

1.Irrbloss

2.Rista hans namn

3.Stormhatt

4.Nattfjärilar

5.Blodörn 06:39

6.Hamnskiftaren

7.Bergtagen

Review

DRÖÖG self titled debut album has the mighty power of Majestic Mountain Records behind it who are pretty confident of these guys making major waves within the Doom/Stoner Rock underground and I can see why with this highly original blend of Psych Rock, Stoner Rock and Progressive Doom sounds. The album does have its fair share of Post-Rock moments and a twinge of Folk Rock.

The album is also sung in Swedish and I can’t really say what the lyrics actually mean as I don’t speak Swedish. However, the lyrics and vocals are quite heartfelt and even emotionally driven when matched against the heavy Post-Rock/Post-Stoner sounds. DRÖÖG play similar grooves to bands such as Elder and Weedpecker but still doing their own thing.

Opening song Irrbloss is an instrumental offering that moves between mellow Post-Rock sounds and heavier Stoner Rock/Metal riffs. The song is multi-layered and progressive in all of the right ways with a cool sideline in Blues Rock driven atmospherics. One of the standout tracks on the album that sets the mood and tone for the whole album.

Second song Rista hans namn is played at a mid-to-slow pace with a heavy Prog Rock atmosphere appearing amongst the modern Psych Rock attitude that DRÖÖG capture superbly well. The vocals are quite gloomy in places with a Blues Rock sullen attitude but there is still a warm hearted feeling from this song. A great mix of Seventies Prog Rock themes and modern day sounds.

Third song Stormhatt is more Folk Rock/Americana inspired with DRÖÖG on fine storytelling form. The music has a classic Doom/Stoner Rock approach and fully comes alive when the band lets the Psychedelic elements of the song take complete creative control. The instrumental work is beautifully played and welcomes the listener with open arms. The vocals have a classic touch to them and appear to be heavily inspired by the Seventies Hard Rock scene.

Fourth song Nattfjärilar offers a more laid back approach with its gloomy style of Psych Stoner Rock. The music can feel quite isolated and solitary with the excellent low-key production values. The heavy atmospherics allows DRÖÖG to remain firmly in Prog Rock territory and maybe the band could have played a faster style of music here. However, DRÖÖG remain true to themselves and dictate the action that they see fit.

The next two tracks Blodörn and Hamnskiftaren are two of the other standout tracks on the album with Blodörn perhaps being my favourite. As DRÖÖG conjures up exciting moments of Psych Stoner Rock imagery even with their music. This section of the record is perhaps the gloomiest part of the album.

 

Bergtagen is the final track on the album and it offers more of the same Psychedelic magic heard on the previous tracks but outlining what damn good band that DRÖÖG are. 

As I said earlier in this review, the production values are quite low-key and more direct than you initially expect. However, this remains a wonderfully diverse album that allows DRÖÖG to play some wonderful original sounds of their own. 

DRÖÖG debut album is a winning mix of different styles from the Doom/Stoner Rock underground and showcases another great band from the Swedish Underground scene. DRÖÖG are an exciting new voice from the Doom/Stoner Rock scene and I can’t wait to see what they’ll achieve with future releases. 

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Vesper at Majestic Mountain Records for the promo. 

DRÖÖG debut album will be available to buy on CD/DD via Majestic Mountain Records from Septemer 2nd 2022.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp

Wizard Tattoo - S/T (EP Review)

Release Date: August 26th 2022. Record Label: Self Released. Format: DD

Wizard Tattoo - S/T - Tracklisting

1.Wizard Tattoo 05:50

2.A Wizard's Lie 04:57

3.Wizard Knife Fight (At a Bar) 04:49

4.No Return 04:21

Review

Wizard Tattoo is a new band from the Indianapolis, Indiana underground sound who fuse Stoner Rock, Doom Metal and Prog Metal with a slight Psychedelic seedy vision. Their debut EP is a winning mix of classic and modern day sounds that is played at a superb fast pace. There’s a cool story behind this EP that leans mightily into Prog Rock territory that tells the story about a man who thinks he’s becoming a Wizard because of his new tattoo. Hence the name of the band. 

Concept aside, Wizard Tattoo’s debut release has four tracks running for a brief twenty minutes that sees the band play a melodic style of Doom Metal and Stoner Rock with an Alternative Rock flow. The two standout tracks are Wizard Tattoo and A Wizard’s Lie that show the true creativity of the band especially when they inject some ELO inspired sounds towards the end on Wizard Tattoo but still retaining that classic Doom/Stoner Metal sound. Grizzled vocals align themselves to the darkness of the EP and it’s a refreshing change of pace that can be quite theatrical in places but it’s downright addictive.

Second track is quite funky and jazzy with cool sounding bass guitars and psychedelic beats with the Leonard Cohen inspired lyrics and vocals being more Alt Rock than Doomed Out Stoner Rock. A different side to the Wizard Tattoo but it’s a wickedly entertaining song especially when the heavy DRONED OUT atmospherics appear to inject a healthy dose of HEAVINESS to the song.

The final two songs Wizard Knife Fight (At A Bar) and No Return are pure Doom/Stoner Metal manic energy that captures a heavier side to Wizard Tattoo. Heavy grooves and superb songwriting allows Wizard Tattoo to close this EP on a mighty high with perhaps Wizard Knife Fight (At A Bar) being the most exciting of the final two tracks though the sublime instrumental work on No Return is another highlight that harks back to the day of Seventies Prog Rock.

Wizard Tattoo’s debut EP is an electrifying release that is helped along by fantastic production values that last long in the memory. 

If Wizard Tattoo keeps releasing great records such as this then the Doom/Stoner Metal Underground scene are going to love this band like I do already.

Awesome stuff.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Holly at Deviate PR for the promo. Wizard Tattoo debut EP is available to buy digitally from all good stockists now.

Social Media:

https://linktr.ee/wizardtattoo

Sludge Metallers GNASH Release Music Video for New Single "The Darker Half" Off Their Upcoming EP, Shared Nightmare

Sludge metal newcomers, GNASH, have released a music video for "The Darker Half", the first single from their upcoming debut EP, Shared Nightmare, which comes out on September 22nd.

Josh Richter of GNASH comments:

“I’ve never done a concept record before so I wanted to try to tell a story in great detail over an entire record rather than just one song. As dark and gruesome as the concept is, the underlying theme is the feeling of carrying around emotional baggage and trauma your whole life and the effects it takes on someone. Life is a heavy burden sometimes.”

Listen to “The Darker Half” below:

Formed this year in Columbus, Ohio, GNASH has already established a powerful and unique sound, drawing influence from the depth of death metal, the raw emotion of black metal, and heaviness of sludge metal, the band’s debut EP, Shared Nightmare, is a profound and thought-provoking insight into the darkest reaches of mental health issues.

Shared Nightmare tells a tale of conjoined twins, where one half of the pair dies. The remaining twin must continue on in life, carrying with him a corpse he can’t be rid of. The EP is an exploration of what it means to bear trauma and the toll it takes after a lifetime of being weighed down by such inescapable feelings.

Not for the faint of heart, prepare to be transported into a dark and chilling tale in GNASH’s debut EP, Shared Nightmare, coming September 22nd.

GNASH IS:

Josh Richter - Vocals
Nicky Richter - Guitar
Ethan Martin - Bass
Keenan McNeal - Drum

SOCIAL MEDIA:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/gnashmetal/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/gnashmetal
TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@gnashmetal
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/metalgnash

Shared Nightmare Tracklist:

1 - The Darker Half
2 - Broken Mirror Image
3 - The Amniotic Lake
4 - Sacrificial Bastard

Thanks to Effy at C Squared Music for all of the details.

Supernaut - Souls Awaken (Album Review)

Release Date: August 19th 2022. Record Label: Self Released. Format: DD

Souls Awaken - Tracklisting

1.Resist The Urge 04:01

2.Raven's Call 04:32

3.Ghosts Surround Me 06:09

4.The Throne of Atahualpa 05:17

5.Black Claw 03:41

6.Brain Slow 03:52

7.Kaleidoscope 09:20

8.Monolith 03:19

9.Empty Stage 04:00

Members

Oliver Niemann-Guitar

Sean Niemann-Drums and Vocals

Will Iermini-Bass and Vocals

Review

Souls Awaken is the third album from Santa Cruz, Californian Psych Stoner Metallers Supernaut and this journey is their most gloomiest and aggressive yet. The opening song Resist The Urge has vocals that are quite frantic and perhaps not fitting for a Stoner Metal band after your first experience with the album. The vocals feel more in common with bands from the Hardcore Punk and Sludge Metal scenes. There’s a more “DOOM” based approach with this song and the band plays a “THRASH” apocalyptic vibe on this song alone.

The album still retains a constant Psych Stoner Metal presence that has a raw sound and vital approach within the music especially over the next few songs Resist The Urge, Raven’s Call and Ghosts Surround Me.

The production values are handled superbly well but still allowing Supernaut into having a solitary DIY sound on certain stages of the album. The instrumental work is excellent with the band moving further into Progressive based territory and even Post-Doom or Post-Stoner vibes that serve Supernaut superbly well.

The lyrics constantly embrace a LIGHT vs DARK approach despite what genre of music that Supernaut plays on this album. Alt Rock, Punk Rock, Doom Metal, Psych Metal and their main focus being Stoner Metal. 

Souls Awaken does lose its way towards the end of their musical journey but the band play out with the two standout tracks on the album being Monolith and Empty Stage.

Overall, Supernaut have released a stirring musical adventure that journeys into the darker depths of Psych Stoner Metal. 

Words by Steve Howe

Links

Facebook | BandCamp

An Interview With King Legba & The Loas

Psych Stoner Rockers King Legba & The Loas were a band I noticed back in 2019 when I reviewed their last album Back From The Dead. The album was a wildly stunning mix of Blues Rock, Stoner Metal, Heavy Metal and Psych Rock. The record was produced by Tomas Skogsberg (The Hellacopters, Entombed and Backyard Babies) and Tomas has produced the band's upcoming new EP - Shine A Light.

I caught up with the band to discuss their humble beginnings, working with Tomas and how they coped during COVID-19 Pandemic.

This is a great band to listen to and discover for yourselves. Hopefully this interview will help you on that musical journey....

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

Things are good, we‘re looking forward to release our EP and play some shows. You couldn’t say that not too long ago, as we all know!

For those not in the know, what is the history of the band and where it is today.

The band was founded by me, Tobi, and Marco about ten years ago. Since 2011, Silvio plays the drums in our band. We released two records previously and played shows mostly in Switzerland and Germany. We are now a well established team when it comes to songwriting and gigging.

How would you describe your music in your own words.

It is definitely a blend of different styles that influenced us. We call it Voodoo injected Rock‘n‘Roll.

Where did the name for the band come from and what inspired it.

Papa Legba, or King Legba how he is sometimes called, is a voodoo deity. I was always fascinated by the story of Robert Johnson. It is said that he sold his soul to the devil at a crossroad in Clarksdale Mississippi. That story is actually inspired by stories about Papa Legba, who is the keeper of the crossroads in the voodoo religion. So the name of this band is a kind of a tribute to Robert Johnson and his tragic story.

You're releasing your new EP Shine A Light in September 2022. What can people expect from this release.

Good music, ha ha. Seriously, I think it’s an eclectic record that also shows a new side to our band. Ranging from rather quiet music, like in the verses of "Smithereens“ over some psychedelic Fuzz tones to thundering drums and walls of electric guitar.

You've teamed up with Tomas Skogsberg (The Hellacopters, Entombed and Backyard Babies) for this release. How did this collaboration came about and I believe you have worked with Tomas in the past.

Yes, we already worked with Tomas on our second album "Back From the Dead“. When we wrote the material for our previous record, we asked ourselves who we would like as a producer. We were always big fans of Tomas‘ work with Entombed, The Hellacopters and other bands he produced. 

So we contacted him straight away. When he replied that he would like to work with us, we were stoked. On "Back From the Dead“ I played the same Peavey amplifier that was used for "Left Hand Path“ by Entombed, a record I used to blast in my bedroom as a teenager, playing air guitar while headbanging to it.

What does Tomas bring to the King Legba And The Loas sound.

Tomas is really the perfect producer for our music. In short, he brings out the essence of our band, while giving us a raw but fat sound.

Shine A Light is different to your previous releases. More Grunge Based in my own humble opinion. Did you want to try something different for this release.

I agree with your definition. It just happened that way. After all we were kids that listened to hard music when the Seattle thing happened, it was definitely an influence and we still like bands like Soundgarden or Alice In Chains. This time it just shines through a bit more in our music, I think.

What were the recording sessions like for Shine A Light. Was this a difficult EP to write and record for.

It was actually really easy and a lot of fun to record this EP. We spent only three days in Sweden at Tomas very own Skogsbergs studio. We did a little pre production in our rehearsal space this time, that helped us getting prepared and knowing what we want. The writing process was also quite natural and relaxed.

Did you do anything differently with this EP compared to your previous releases.

Yes there are some differences. I used a cleaner sound for the vocals and we allowed ourselves more overdubs than on previous recording sessions. But most of it was actually pretty similar.

What is the creative thinking process for the band. Is there set people writing music and lyrics or do you all have assigned roles within the band when creating new music.

Mostly it’s me who brings some ideas for riffs and vocals, but some ideas come out of jams we do to warm up at the beginning of a rehearsal. We then work out our individual parts together while playing these riffs or song ideas. The lyrics are all written by me.

What inspires you all when writing music.

That‘s a though question! Maybe the joy of finding something that sounds good to our ears?
For the lyrics I like to get inspired by stories I either experienced myself or legends like the tale of the crossroads I mentioned earlier in this interview. I then try to find metaphors that transport the feelings that I connect with those things, without being to obvious.

Was there a particular song, album, group or artist that influenced you to become musicians.

I don’t think there was only one album or artist. We were all influenced by a lot of different things. Marco and Silvio both have pretty huge record collections and I myself studied music and listened to and played very different music over the years. We all like loud, hard music though!

Do you have any personal favourite highlights being part of the band.

To be able to write my own songs with my own band is a permanent highlight to me, but recording „Shine A Light“ was really a blast!

How did you all cope with the COVID-19 Pandemic. Must have been a particularly tough time for the band.

Oh yes it was. We played no shows at all, but kept rehearsing on a loose but regular basis.
Personally we all came through those times pretty well, Silvio and I kept teaching the drums and guitar respectively and Marco found a new job during the pandemic, so we were at least economically safe. From an artistic standpoint it was dreadful though.

Will you be promoting this EP heavily with any gigs at all and where will you be touring.

We will for sure play gigs, anyone who runs a venue and wants to book us please get in touch!

Thanks for doing this interview. Before you go, do you have anything to say to your fans.

Thank you very much for listening to our music, I know it sounds cheesy, but it really means a lot to us!

Words by Steve Howe and King Legba & The Loas

Thanks to Czar Of Crickets Production for all of the press materials and for arranging this interview.

Shine Of Light will be available to buy on CD/DD via Czar Of Crickets Productions from September 23rd 2022.

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Motherslug - Blood Moon Blues (Album Review)

Release Date: August 13th 2022. Record Label: Self Released. Format: DD

Blood Moon Blues - Tracklisting

1.Misery 01:29

2.Hordes 06:44

3.Breathe 03:28

4.The Ballad of Jock Brown 06:49

5.Evil 05:40

6.Crank 03:26

7.Monolith 05:16

8.Forever More 07:47

9.Push the Venom 02:30

10.Deep In The Hole 04:05

11.You (a love song) 08:24

12.Misery (slight return) 03:17

Members

Bass - Cyn Bae

Drums - Nick Rad

Guitars - Regan Batley

Vocals - Cam Crichton

Additional Guitars, Mellotron and Percussion - Matt Dawkins

Additional Vocals - Cleo Morgan

Review

Aussie Stoner Metallers Motherslug are suffering from a severe case of the BLUES on their new album Blood Moon Blues. As this abum revels in the Blues Rock side of Doom/Stoner Metal with the band focusing upon their own twisted version of Folk Based AMERICANA or Country Outlaw Rock. This is an interesting creative direction that the band have taken with this album and it’s quite different to their 2017 album The Electric Dunes of Titan.

However their familiar sounding gloomy WEEDIAN grooves are still intact but with a more down-tuned and BLACK SABBATH based sound. Motherslug have written bleak and twisted lyrics for this album and Cam’s vocals are perhaps influenced by artists from the classic era of Grunge.

The psychedelic energy spiced throughout the album can be classed as NEGATIVE ENERGY but this adds to the overall sonic experience of the fantastic down-tuned grooves.

The first opening songs of Misery, Hordes and Breathe are sublime heavy WEEDIAN and DOOM based songs with Motherslug showing a wealth of creativity that keeps the mood vibrant and pulsating with some of the best sounds I’ve heard from the band to date.

Fourth song The Ballad Of Jock Brown was a real challenge to listen to and I was ready to press the fast forward button. As the first half is a Blues Rock/Americana based then the more exciting second half kicks in. As Motherslug plays a frantic blast of distorted Doom/Stoner Metal riffs that give this track SOUL. A track that has slowly become one of my favourite tracks on the album.

Motherslug continue with their BLUES ROCK based musical adventure with a slightly NOLA vibe appearing on the later stages of the album. The album could have easily run out of steam with its epic length of almost fifty nine minutes but Motherslug kept plugging away, performing one outstanding track after another.

Other great tracks to check out are: Evil, Monolith, Deep In The Hole and You (A Love Song)

Blood Moon Blues is a well crafted album with solid production values that only adds to the overall listening experience. This is still a “rough and ready” kind of album that Motherslug have perfected since their debut album.

Motherslug are one of the best bands from the underground Aussie Doom/Stoner Metal scene and this album only confirms that statement. This is a wickedly entertaining album that is Motherslug’s biggest and boldest album to date.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

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