ARTIFACTS & URANIUM = The Gateless Gate (Album Review)

Release Date: May 05th 2023. Record Label: Riot Season Records and Echodelic Records. Formats: DD/Vinyl

The Gateless Gate: Tracklisting

1.Twilight Chorus - 16:12

2.Sound Of Desolation - 19.54

Members

Fred Laird - Organ, Synth, Bass, Percussive Guitars, Drums, Sun Gong, Mix and Production.

Mike Vest - Bass, Synth, Lead Guitars and H- Delays.

Martin Ash - Viola

Review

The Gateless Gate is the new album from Psych Rock Experimentalists ARTIFACTS & URANIUM and sees the band add a more Ambient Rock flavour to their music compared to previous releases. There’s the subtle Droned Out Textures with a little dash of Electronic sounds heard within the first lengthy composition of Twilight Chorus.

Twilight Chorus is very multi-layered with the different levels of sounds the band employs here. The song is quite twisted and has a surreal vibe to the tracks with the use of Guitar Reverb and Amplifier Distortion. ARTIFACTS & URANIUM add different sounding guitars with intense drumming along with the added use of organs and synths. ARTIFACTS & URANIUM don’t play anything safe with this album and this song proves that with it’s slow paced delivery the band use to deliver their music with. The later stages can be quite overwhelming with the dramatic use of Post-Rock and Space Rock themes which gives this album quite an apocalyptic feel.

Second track Sound Of Desolation continues with the Droned Out Experimental nature of the previous track but has a more hopeful flow to the song. The sounds are ethereal for the most part but with this being ARTIFACTS & URANIUM even hopeful moments have to fade away to sound that becomes Doom and Drone based. The instrumental work is stunning with ARTIFACTS & URANIUM using a wide array of different instruments. There’s a certain TANGERINE DREAM and VANGELIS influence appearing especially with the quieter moments of the track. The later stages of the song ventures into harsher realms of Distorted Drone which brings a subtle Sludgy groove which is perhaps one of the best parts of the album and allows this to be the best track on the album.

The Gateless Gate is another sublime release from ARTIFACTS & URANIUM and allows the band to close off their trilogy of albums (Artifacts & Uranium & Panscosmology) in mighty great fashion and still leave you wanting to hear more. 

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Mike Vest and Riot Season Records for the promo.

Atom Sphere on May 05th 2023 on Vinyl via Riot Season Records and Echodelick Records

MODOKI - Atom Sphere (Album Review)

Release Date: May 05th 2023. Record Label: Riot Season Records and Echodelick Records. Formats: DD/Vinyl

Atom Sphere: Tracklisting

1.Sun Steals 

2.High Standing Galactic Healing 

3.Roll Away Your Shadow

4.Beastronics

5.Neptune Seller

6.Transmigration Of Souls

Members

Mitsuru Tabata

Mike Vest

Dave Sneddon

Review

Atom Sphere is the debut album from Experimental Psychedelic Noise/Space/Sludge Rock unit MODOKI featuring the unique creative talents of  Mitsuru Tabata, Dave Sneddon and Mike Vest. The band could be considered a “Supergroup” of sorts with each member being part of some legendary bands within the underground experimental Psych/Noise Rock scene.

Atom Sphere has a more sludgy atmosphere to the album than I initially anticipated. The music is constantly moving forward to the next level of distorted NOISE ROCK paranoia especially on the excellent batch of opening songs of Sun Steals, High Standing Galactic Healing and Roll Away Your Shadow.

MODOKI brings a warped and heavily distorted use of Noise Rock, Psych Rock and Space Rock that lasts through the album. Purely instrumental and offering areas of Classic Hard Rock throughout the ages but with a sense of freaky exploration with the non-stop use of Guitar Reverb and Amplifier Feedback being their main weapon of choice to play music with. 

There is also a JAZZY feeling to MODOKI’s overall sound with screeching guitars that are mostly extended instrumental progressive grooves which allows the band to move into other areas of Experimental Sludge Rock. Most of the songs have similar creative dynamics which MODOKI play with wild abandonment and making their own rules along the way especially on the later stages on the album with tracks such as Roll Away Your Shadow and Beastronics.

The most impressive thing about this album is how wonderfully diverse and heavy MODOKI appear to be. The music is constantly shifting focus but also offering the listener familiar hooks and instrumental jams to give them an easy way into their dark world.

If you’re a hardcore fan of the members other bands then you’re going to love this like I did. The more casual listener may need convincing. As MODOKI do play too many different styles of music which I struggled with at first. However, after a few more listens I began to appreciate the album a whole lot more especially with the mellower and freakier parts of the album that brings an air of 1970’s Psych Rock and classic Shoegaze effects into the mix.

Production values are quite surreal but superbly done from start to finish that allows MODOKI to play highly volatile blasts of SONIC based grooves that has a sense of 1960’s Hard Rock bands such as MC5 being used at times or perhaps folks can compare MODOKI to that legendary band at the height of their creative powers.

Atom Sphere is a spellbinding and outlandish debut album from MODOKI and will impress by the sheer amount of catchy aggressive grooves the band play and leave you fully satisfied. 

Hopefully there’s more to come from MODOKI in the future and considering the musicians involved, I’m fully confident we’ll hear them sooner rather than later. This is a first rate release. Pure and simple.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Mike Vest and Riot Season Records for the promo.

Atom Sphere on May 06th 2023 on Vinyl via Riot Season Records and Echodelick Records

Links

Facebook | BandCamp

Muerte Espiral - Inframundo - Review and Exclusive Album Premiere

Release Date: April 28th 2023. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

INFRAMUNDO : Tracklisting

Hipnosis  

Las Náuseas 

Mantenlo Real 

Tierra De Nadie 

Cráneo 

El Camino 

Conjuro 

Faz Roída 

Members

Bass & Guitar by Mia Moustache

Vocals & Guitar by Jurel Sónico

Drums by David Burger

Review

Inframundo is the debut album from Doom/Stoner Metallers Muerte Espiral that features members of bands such as Zeal & Ardor, Adelaida and Zatokrev. The band play a fuzzy blend of Doom/Stoner Metal with strands of Punk Rock and warped Psychedelics. The sound of the album has a classic Grunge attitude especially with the sublime vocals coming from Jurel. 

Jurel offers a “BANSHEE” based performance for the aggressive parts and a toned down melodic performance for the quieter parts of the album. The production values have DIY ethics and values throughout the whole album and it gives the album a much needed “RAW” sound that allows Muerte Espiral to be a true product of the South American underground scene.

The vocals are in Spanish but you don’t need to understand what’s being said within the songs as you can lose yourself with the sludgy jams of the band which draw influences from a wide array of different bands from the 1990's Grunge and Stoner Metal scenes but also ones from modern day contemporaries as well.

Inframundo means “UNDERWORLD” in English and allows Muerte Espiral to offer a realistic gloomy style of Doom/Stoner Metal with shades of Progressive Metal appearing on tracks such as Las Náuseas and Mantenlo Real. With the freakier and frenzied FUZZY instrumental jams is where the band impresses the most. 

There’s a trippy Eastern Instrumental vibe on Tierra De Nadie which drifts into Post-Rock territory but one that has a cool Romantic appeal with how the music it’s delivered. The grooves are distinctively heavy but it’s a very different style of Fuzz/Sludge Rock which the band have a great talent for.

For an album that was originally recorded in Summer 2017, Inframundo feels like it was recorded in today’s modern times. As it’s a popular style of music that Muerte Espiral plays that’s held in high regard within the underground scene. 

The later stages of the album sees the band continue their “obsessive” style of FUZZY and DISTORTED jams on great tracks such as Cráneo, El Camino and Faz Roida. I would say these tracks are the best parts of the album with the most interesting creative choice made and heaviest grooves appear.

Inframundo is an album with a soulful and adventurous attitude that allows Muerte Espiral to release an epic sounding album that has first class grooves from start to finish.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

You can hear the album ahead of its scheduled release today. 

Thanks to Muerte Esprial for the promo and album premiere.

Inframundo is available to buy now on Digital Download.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Burque Rock City Have Announced More Bands For August 4th & 5th Downtown ABQ At The Historic El Rey Theater & Inside Out Bar

Burque Rock City Festival have announced the following bands to their lineup.

Brant Bjork * Yawning Balch * Year Of The Cobra * Fatso Jetson * Electric Citizen * Tenderizor * Street Tombs * Red Mesa * Ojo Malo * Nomestomper

This goes with the already previously announced First Wave of Amazing Bands below:

Weedeater * Pike Vs The Automaton * Belzebong * Early Moods * High Desert Queen * Thunder Horse * Sorcia * Prism Bitch * Coma Revovery

Roman Barham, co-founder of Monolith on the Mesa has been quietly working on Burque Rock City Fest.

Barham says:

“Monolith On The Mesa crew would love to thank everyone who helped make Monolith 2022 an awesome fest. Huge thanks from The Taos Mesa Brewery crew, the Hotel Luna Mystica crew and to all the very respectful patrons that came out and made Monolith On The Mesa 2022 an amazing tribute to our fallen brother Dano Sanchez (deceased Monolith co-founder).

We have decided to take a year off from Monolith and bring it back in 2024 to Taos Mesa Brewery.

Branching south from the Monolith On The Mesa tree is Burque Rock City Fest in Albuquerque, NM At The Historic El Rey Theater & Inside Out Bar On Friday August 4th & Saturday August 5th 2023.

Get Your Early Bird Tickets NOW!!

Early Bird Day Pass-$100
Early Bird 2 Day Pass-$200

Thanks To Desert Bloom PR for the details.

Orme - Orme (Album Review)

Release Date: April 20th 2023. Record Label: Trepanation Recordings. Formats: CD/DD/Cassette

Orme - Orme: Tracklisting

Nazarene

Onward To Sarnath

Members

Tom Clements - Guitars/Vocals

Jimmy Long - Bass and Didgeridoo

Luke Thelin - Drums and Silence

Review

Orme are a Psychedelic/Drone/Ritual/Doom Metal band from the UK and the band play expansive Long Drawn out grooves that feel inspired by the likes of Sunn 0))), BONG, SLEEP and OM. Their self-titled debut album offers two tracks Nazarene and Onward To Sarnath both running for 41 mins and 53 mins respectively. So you can expect a challenging and complex sounding album which Orme offers no apologies for.

Both tracks have a slight Stoner or WEEDIAN sound to them with an almost Apocalyptic approach with their music. Ambient and Psych Metal textures have a slow building methodical nature to them. You could wait a long time for heavy Drone/Doom grooves to appear. The same methodology goes with the vocals as well. As Orme bides their time to allow lead vocalist Tom Clements to make a welcome appearance. Tom's vocals and delivery styles are mostly a mixture of Doom Chants and Experimental elements but all showing a GREGORIAN style quality to them.

There's a deep level of warped melody and distortion with the music that comes into play very early on with the opening track of Nazarene. Orme even adapted their music to play more experimental styles of Post-Rock and even Acid Rock but still firmly within the Drone/Doom Metal aspect their music confidently delivers.

The later stages of both tracks contain the heaviest parts of the album where Orme manages to play deeply interesting cuts of Riff based music. Sure, there's the long drawn out Sunn 0))) or BONG sonic influence keeping things played at a slow pace but at least Orme learn to adapt with their music and include some mighty fine DOWN-TUNED, LOW & SLOW and AMPLIFIER DISTORTED epic instrumental jams.

The standout track has to be Onward To Sarnath. As it's a longer and deeply more interesting track from a creative point of view. Orme include different themes or different sides of Ambient/Ritual music. This track allows Orme the chance to perform some of the heaviest and bleakest sounds on the album. 

With BONG being missing in action for the time being, I can easily see Orme filling that void. They may play similar styles of music but Orme have a darker sense of SONIC EXPLORATION that left me mightily impressed by the lyrics, chants and vocal passages they created for this album. However, it's the music that's the real standout with Orme perhaps taking cues from the legendary album DOPESMOKER for the more scorched desert parts the album contains.

The album isn't going to be for everyone. Some may feel not a lot happens but you have to have experience the whole album in one sitting to fully understand what Orme achieved with this album. The record is superbly heavy in it's own unique way. I would love to see what these guys bring to the live stage. As this is the type of band that would go down a storm within the Roadburn crowd and perhaps other well known underground Doom/Stoner festivals.

Production values are excellent which allows the heaviness of the album to grow naturally and offer the listener some deafening Doom/Stoner/Psych tinged grooves of the highest order.

This is a sublime release from perhaps the best Droned Out Doom Metal bands from the UK Underground Scene I've heard in quite some time.

Words by Steve Howe

Orme is available to buy now via Trepanation Recordings on CD/DD/Cassette.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp

Exclusive Album Premiere Of KING POTENAZ New Album GOAT RIDER Out on ARGONAUTA RECORDS

Italian Doom/Stoner Metallers King Potenaz are releasing their stunningly heavy new album Goat Rider this Friday via Underground Powerhouse Label Argonauta Records.

Thanks to Argonatua Records and Grand Sounds PR we are premiering the full length album which you can listen to below:

Goat Rider: Tracklisting

Among The Ruins

Pyramids Planet

Goat Rider

Pazuzu (3.33)

Cosmic Voyagers

Moriendoom (La ballata di ippolita oderisi)

Monolithic

Dancing Plague

Members

PRNX - Drums

Francesco - Vocals/Bass

Giuseppe - Vocals/Guitars

You can read my review from this link or an extract from below:

"King Potenaz new album Goat Rider has all the right ingredients for a stone cold classic Doom/Stoner Metal album which draws upon bands such as Black Sabbath, Electric Wizard, KYUSS, Monster Magnet and SLEEP but with a slightly aggressive Occult Metal sound. The album is filled with passionate vocals that do feel inspired by Dave Wyndorf in places with the gloomy atmospherics and FUZZED UP grooves allowing King Potenaz play a sound that's both classic sounding and superbly modern at the same time.

The dramatic use of Psychedelic Sounds has an eerie 1970's attitude with the 1990's based Stoner Metal approach. The band add a Post-Doom element to their sound which translates into Spaced Out vibes on the more quieter and restrained parts of the album. 

Goat Rider benefits from excellent production values which marries the different sounds and themes perfectly that King Potenaz has created for this album. With Italian Powerhouse Label Argonauta Records releasing this album, this allows the record to be first rate and must have release from the Italian Doom/Stoner Metal scene. 

King Potenaz have delivered the goods with Goat Rider and should allow the band to build up a formidable reputation within the Doom/Stoner Metal underground scene. Don't be surprised if you see Goat Rider claiming multiple accolades on Best Albums Of 2023 lists before the year is out. This is seriously that good. "

Goat Rider will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Argonauta Records from Friday 28th April 2023.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp

Doom/Stoner Rockers RISIN SABOTAGE Premiere New Song MENTOR From Upcoming New Album

Risin Sabotage are set to release their new album "Macabre" June 2, 2023 via Interstellar Smoke Records.

You can hear the fantastic new song MENTOR from the upcoming new album. 

 

The album was written during the time of the global pandemic and mastered during the currently ongoing war in our country, Ukraine. These events have definitely affected the sound and, as a result, the title of this album. The release features nine songs that tell nine stories. Some of them put you in the atmosphere of today’s horrors, and others help you escape them.

Kyiv based Risin Sabotage slams with heavy psych and desert rock since 2015.

In the quest for a new sound the music is giving the best of desert rock, heavy psych, stoner and doom.

Risin Sabotage's fuzzy riffs and grooves inspired by the sounds of 70's astound with the incredible energetic performance.

Macabre will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl from Interstellar Smoke Records from June 5th 2023.

Connect with Risin Sabotage:

https://risinsabotage.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/risin_sabotage/
https://www.facebook.com/risin.sabotage

Thanks to Infecting Cells PR for all of the details. 

HIGH LEAF - Vision Quest (Album Review)

Release Date: May 05th 2023. Record Label: Riff Slayer Records. Formats: CD/DD

Vision Quest: Tracklisting

Green Rider

Vision Quest

Subversive

Dead Eye

Hard To Find

Painted Desert

March To The Grave

The Rot

Members

Patrick Fiore - Lead Guitar

Corey Presner - Vocals/Guitar

Brian Schmidt - Bass

Dean Welsh - Drums

Review

Doom/Stoner Metallers HIGH LEAF is powered by the mighty WEED with the band even named after the damn thing. Let's take cue of their musical influences. Black Sabbath, SLEEP, Electric Wizard and Monster Magnet. Yeah, the gang's all here where influences are concerned. What makes HIGH LEAF standout is their use of Classic Rock, Prog Rock, Space Rock and even a killer Grunge vibe appears multiple times on the album.

There's a subtle "Post-Stoner" or "Post-Doom" drive that can be heard on the early stages of the album, especially the stunning opening tracks of Green Rider and Vision Quest. HIGH LEAF explores the familiar WEEDIAN sounds but injected with a more world-weary Psychedelic flavour. Both tracks have a Blues based Psychedelic Druggy attitude with an OM-esque down-tuned quality to the music. The vocals on Green Rider is a winning style with a sense of emotion and realism to them despite the drugged out subject matter. 

HIGH LEAF still plays the high standard of WEEDIAN grooves we expect from the underground scene. Though, HIGH LEAF plays a more nuanced style of music on VIsion Quest which allows the band to play some of the finest and mellowest sounds on the album. Quite progressive in places which allows the band the perfect opportunity to show off their impressive musical skills. Vision Quest does become a heavier sludgy beast with the grunge-esque lyrics adding a more bleak hallucinogenic effect.

Third track Subversive has a WEEDEATER/BONGZILLA flow to the track with a more direct style. The vocals remain clean and the Blues Rock aspect allows HIGH LEAF to play a subtle mix of classic and modern day Doomed Out Stoner Grooves and heavy distorted Sludgy atmospherics changing into some mighty fine extended instrumental jams. 

Fourth track Dead Eye is another Blues based Doom Metal offering with an electric FUZZ and AMPLIFIER WORSHIP style of music. The lyrics are inspired by the Seventies Classic Hard Rock era especially with the more funky parts which lead vocalist Corey sings with complete gusto. The second half of the song is full of heavy pounding guitar solos yet again which has a soulful Sludge/Stoner based movement.

HIGH LEAF continue to play their winning style of WEEDIAN Metal that does continue with an aggressive slant with both the vocals and lyrics the band have written for tracks such as Hard To Find, Painted Desert and March To The Grave. The lyrics are perhaps more DOOM based and leaves the Stoner aspect behind for a harsher style of music. However, everything works surprisingly well with HIGH LEAF laying down first rate grooves to the finishing line.

Vision Quest has a multitude of different styles of Doom/Stoner Metal to entertain listeners with. Backed up by first rate production values, HIGH LEAF have delivered the goods with Vision Quest. Full of passionate vocals, intelligent lyrics and epic grooves, this allows HIGH LEAF to go out ALL BONG's BLAZING.

Vision Quest is the complete WEEDIAN package for HIGH LEAF to impress the Doom/Stoner Metal underground scene with. 

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to HIGH LEAF for the promo.

Vision Quest will be available to buy on CD/DD from May 05th 2023 via Riff Slayer Records.

Links

Facebook: www.facebook.com/highleafband
Instagram: www.instagram.com/highleafband
Bandcamp: www.highleaf.bandcamp.com
Spotify Pre-Save: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/highleaf/vision-quest
Offical Website: www.highleafband.com
Record Label: www.riffslayerrecords.com

Le Scimmie - Adriatic Desert (Album Review)

Release Date: April 28th 2023. Record Label: Frekete! Records. Formats: CD/DD

Adriatic Desert: Tracklisting

Wild Boar

Adriatic Desert

Acid Lime

Mammatus

A Giant Summer

Hysteria

2007

Fluorescent Dinosaur

Members

Angelo 'Xunah' Mirolli - Guitars

Marco D'Aulerio - Drums

Review

Desert/Stoner Rockers Le Scimmie return with their third album Adriatic Desert. The album runs for a very concise but very action packed thirty minutes. Le Scimmie offers a chaotic blend of Punk Rock, Psych Rock, Noise Rock and Sludge Rock but lovingly contained within a thrilling Desert/Stoner Rock package. The album does have some DIY ethics being used in the production side of things. Though it still sounds wonderfully LOUD and even DARING in places.

Influenced by the likes of KYUSS, Karma To Burn and FU MANCHU but with the creative attitude of Nick Olivieri especially with the more OUTLAW vibe the album contains on tracks such as Wild Boar, Adriatic Desert and Acid Lime. These tracks allow Le Scimmie to explore the more outlandish side of the Desert/Stoner Rock sound with trippy theatrics being added for a heavier and a slight level of Sludge based distortion.

Amplifier Distortion and Guitar Reverb is a big part of how Le Scimmie deliver their grooves on the album. The album is purely instrumental and should keep fans of the WEEDIAN underground scene gloriously entertained. Le Scimmie aren't reinventing the wheel here but they've written a collection of great tracks that have a certain classic Stoner Rock approach. Adriatic Desert also excels in the FUZZ ROCK department with plenty of levels of distorted FUZZ within the album's creative DNA. 

Other great tracks to check out are: Mammatus, A Giant Summer, Hysteria and Fluorescent Dinosaur. 

Certain parts of the album can be quite freaky and jazzy in places which brings a more classic Psych Rock vibe into the overall mix of the album. The final track Fluorescent Dinosaur even allows Le Scimmie to be a bit more progressive with their music and show a different side to the band. The album maybe could have done with a couple more songs. As it's quite a short album barely clocking in at thirty minutes. However, Le Scimmie have released a great album that is jam-packed with RIFFS galore.

Adriatic Desert is Le Scimmie's best album to date and will no doubt allow the band to build their fanbase within the underground Desert/Stoner Rock scene.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Metaversus PR for the promo.

Adriatic Desert will be available to buy on CD/DD via Frekete! Records from April 27th 2023.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp

Slowenya - Angel Raised Wolves/Horizontal Loops (Double Single Review)

Release Date: April 28th 2023. Record Label: Karhuvaltio Records. Formats: DD

Angel Raised Wolves/Horizontal Loops: Tracklisting

Angel Raised Wolves

Horizontal Loops

Review

Shoegaze/Psych/Doom Rockers Slowenya return with a double single which offers what to expect on their forthcoming new album that will be released in September 2023. The two singles Angel Raised Wolves & Horizontal Loops sees the band push the envelope even further with their Psych/Alt Doom/Alt Metal tendencies taking upon a more structured and experimental approach.

Angel Raised Wolves contains low-tuned doom and gloomy theatrics with a different vocal style compared to their past few releases. Ambient driven Post-Rock sounds are added for a more calmer effect. However, Slowenya adds a sludgy and industrial element to this track with intense Doom moments being added on the later stages of the tracks. The vocals are clean based with sublime lyrics allowing Slowenya to play strands of Prog Metal, Psych Rock and slightly distorted Doomgaze effects. 

Horizontal Loops is where Slowenya offer a different style of music as they venture into the realms of Death Metal with down-tuned thrashy beats and experimental sound effects. The guitars have a slight GODFLESH influence to them. The song does contain Slowenya's winning style of Psych and Alt Doom moments but it's given a more nightmarish makeover with some disturbing industrial leading the creative charge. The vocals are mostly clean based but the band do offer moments of harsh vocals along the way.

This is a great release from Slowenya which shows how the band are changing their music only for the better for their forthcoming album release later this year. Both songs sound fantastic and both expertly produced. Some of their fan-base may need more time with Horizontal Loops but other than that, Slowenya have delivered a set of outstanding tracks that you can listen to over and over again.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Slowenya for the promo.

Angel Raised Wolves / Horizontal Loops will be available to buy on Digital via Karhuvaltio Records from April 28th 2023.

Links

https://www.facebook.com/Slowenya
https://www.instagram.com/slowenyaband/
https://slowenya.bandcamp.com/