ISAAK // GEEZER - Interstellar Cosmic Blues & The Riffalicious Stoner Dudes (Album Review)

Release Date: May 03rd 2024. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

ISAAK // GEEZER - Interstellar Cosmic Blues & The Riffalicious Stoner Dudes - Tracklisting

1.Acid Veins (Geezer)

2.Little Voices (Geezer)

3.Mercury Rising (Geezer)

4.Oneirophrenia (Geezer)

5.The Whale (Isaak)

6.Crisis (Isaak)

7.Flat Earth (Isaak)

Review

Famed Heavy Rock Label Heavy Psych Sounds presents their latest split album release featuring two of their finest Cosmic Stoner Rock bands teaming up on a highly irresistible release featuring Cosmic Blues Rock Overlords GEEZER and Psychedelic Stoner Riffsters ISAAK. These two greats of the Stoner Rock scene bring their own trademark blend of Psychedelic Stoner Rock/Metal which are quite different to each other but both having the same purpose of providing the listener with a wicked style of highly energetic grooves and extended spaced out jams.

GEEZER provide four tracks of cosmic riffage which sees the band expand upon their Blues Rock and Cosmic dominated style with a freaky sideline within Seventies Space Rock aggression merging with a modern day Sludge Rock take on things appearing within Acid Veins and Little Voices being perhaps the standout tracks from GEEZER’s side of the split.

It’s good seeing GEEZER turning back the clock and venturing into sounds we’ve haven’t heard since their earlier album releases. There’s a ton of guitar reverb and fuzzed up feedback on GEEZER’s tracks which makes for some killer seedy instrumental sounds with Pat’s “Devil May Care” attitude and catchy vocals making a stirring impression on the final two tracks of Mercury Rising and Oneirophrenia. Plus with the added bonus of glitchy noises and a healthy overdose of SONIC feedback that sees GEEZER leaving you wanting to hear more from them on this release alone.

ISAAK’s side of the split release sees the band continue the experimental Stoner Metal sound heard on their last album HEY but with some familiar themes and creative ideas heard on their groundbreaking 2016 album Sermonize. The music is more fast-paced which you’ll encounter on The Whale with its Fuzzed Up Metallic attitude with a ton of Psychedelic aggression.

ISAAK keep going with that free-flowing Sludge/Stoner aggressive turn on the remaining two tracks of Crisis and Flat Earth with the band bringing a different theme to each track with the music constantly changing into something you don’t expect. ISAAK feel like a different band compared to HEY at times and that could be down to the creative partners or guest musicians who appear within their songs that are listed below:

Fabio Cuomo from Gotho & Liquido di Morte - THE WHALE

Fabio Palombi from Nerve & Burn the Ocean - CRISIS

Levre from Ufomammut - FLAT EARTH

My favourite track from ISAAK side of the split is FLAT EARTH as it feels like UFOMAMMUT in places especially within the Heavier Sludge movements that appear. This track also allows ISAAK to do their own thing at the same time. Though, Crisis is a track that could have easily come from their landmark album Sermonize but the harsh vocals give it a more unsettling appeal as well. So there’s something for everyone to enjoy, respect and admire from ISAAK’s music on this release alone.

Interstellar Cosmic Blues & The Riffalicious Stoner Dudes is a first rate collaboration from two of Heavy Psych Sounds roster of Psychedelic Stoner Rock/Metal outfits. This is a must have addition to all fans of GEEZER, ISAAK, Heavy Psych Sounds and Stoner Metal music in general.

As Pat from GEEZER would say - “You Dig” - and I most definitely do. Fantastic stuff…

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the promo.

Interstellar Cosmic Blues & The Riffalicious Stoner Dudes will be available to pre-order on CD/DD/Vinyl now from Heavy Psych Sounds from Friday May 17th 2024.

Geezer Links

Facebook | BandCamp | instagram

ISAAK Links:

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Cosmic Stoner Rockers GEEZER & Psych Stoner Rockers ISAAK Announce New Split Album. New GEEZER Track LITTLE VOICES Now Streaming

Cosmic Doom Rockers GEEZER and Psych Stoner Rockers ISAAK have teamed up for their stunningly heavy new split album Interstellar Cosmic Blues & The Riffalicious Stoner Dudes. The album will be released by Heavy Psych Sounds on CD/DD/Vinyl formats from May 17th 2024.

GEEZER have said this about their side of the split release with Interstellar Cosmic Blues:

"As the "Interstellar Cosmic Blues" half of this EP, we consider these songs to be some of the best that we've produced. Songs that could all be "singles" all on their own. And they better be because "The Riffalicious Stoner Dudes" brought some savage riffage of their own! Put it all together with amazing artwork by Mirkow Gastow and release it on Heavy Psych Sounds, the BEST record label on the planet... and you've got all the makings of a great record! A modern classic right out of the box. Dig it!"

ISAAK have said this about their side of the split release with The Riffalicious Stoner Dudes:

"Art comes from change and experimentation.

These three songs are exactly that.

Three songs, three different souls."

We're happy to premiere the GROOVY new single from GEEZER - Little Voices

Interstellar Cosmic Blues & The Riffalicious Stoner Dudes is available to Pre-order now on CD/DD/Vinyl now from Heavy Psych Sounds and will be released on May 17th 2024.

GEEZER Links:

Facebook | BandCamp | instagram

ISAAK Links:

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Thanks to Purple Sage PR and Heavy Psych Sounds for all of the details.

ISAAK - HEY (Album Review)

Release Date: March 31st 2023. Record Label: Heavy Psych Sounds. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

HEY: Tracklisting

Miracle B

Hey

OBG

Except

Rotten

Over The Edge (Vipers Cover)

Dormouse

Fake It Until You Make It

Taste 2.0

Sleepwalker

Goodbyes Are Always Very Sad

Members

Giacoma Boeddu - Vocals

Francesco Raimondi - Guitars

Gabriele Carta - Bass

Davide Foccis - Drums

Review

Italian Stoner Rock/Metallers ISAAK return after a seven year absence when they released their underground classic album Sermonize. It's been a long wait for the guys to return and now they are back with HEY. A collection of eleven tracks where ISAAK fuse their Stoner Rock/Metal sounds with elements of Psychedelic Rock and Fuzz Rock against a darker style of Punk Rock themes throughout this album.

ISAAK also use Dark Comedic and Satirical themes within the lyrics and messages of their songs whilst remaining true to the Underground Stoner roots. However, the band are thinking outside of the box from the very start with the opening track Miracle B which takes pot-shots at modern day life whilst blending WEEDIAN grooves with a punchy and aggressive feeling to it all. The song is slightly DOOM based but the music is always  the "STAR" here with FUZZY extended jams allowing the soundbytes to tell their own story.

Second song Hey takes over where Sermonize left off. Fast-paced and slightly distorted sounds of the Californian Desert that do offer hints of the Punk/Garage Rock sound the band have adopted for this album. The vocals are superb from Giacoma having a more forward thinking style of delivery compared to the previous albums. The music is CATCHY, LOUD and wonderfully endearing to the Stoner way of life despite the Garage Rock influences being used. 

Third song OBG is another fast-paced slice of Punk driven grooves and trippy Psych jams. There's a lot to take in with this song and Giacoma's vocals are relentless but ISAAK makes everything work together. The FUZZ/Garage Rock sounds move firmly into the Psychedelic Stoner Metal world. The song works best when the band plays a more convincing style of Modern Day extended jams. OBG sees ISAAK making huge strides with their music and offering their own definitive blend of catchy Stoner Rock/Metal. 

The production values do allow ISAAK to have a more stripped back feeling to the whole sound of the album but it works to the band's favour especially on the next few songs of Except, Rotten, Over The Edge and Dormouse.

The band work best here on these tracks as they start to think and play outside of the box. The music becomes more FUZZ based with the excellent instrumental work from Francesco (Guitars), Gabriele (Bass) and Davide (Drums) allowing the album to venture into other areas of Psych, Stoner and Punk whilst retaining quite an adventurous side. The added use of Trippy F/X, Guitar Loops and Amplifier Distortion is always a welcome bonus for me personally and ISAAK become more adept at conjuring different styles of music to soothe the soul with.

Giacoma excels yet again within his "world-weary" storytelling role shining through on tracks such as Except, Rotten and Dormouse. The melodic guitars are another highlight with the intense rhythm section allowing  ISAAK to deliver a first rate "Power-Trio" style riff-centric charge for the rest of the album.

Other standout tracks include Fake It Until You Make It, Sleepwalker and Goodbyes Are Always Very Sad.

I would say the final stages of the album sees ISAAK offer the most interesting creative parts of the album with HEY becoming more daring (and even more FUZZIER) when the need calls for it. ISAAK are quite a different band compared to Sermonize but they're still playing music that will speak volumes to the entire Stoner Metal Community.

This album is a masterclass on how to deliver a classic sounding and first rate Desert/Fuzz/Psych/Stoner Rock album.

HEY is ISAAK's most exciting and impressive record to date. Full of outlandish ideas and sublime hard-rocking grooves, this album is the band's best album to date. Another Album Of The Year Contender has landed right here. Heavy Psych Sounds is releasing this album, so that allows this album to be described or considered as "The Complete Package". 

Words by Steve Howe.

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the promo.

HEY is available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Heavy Psych Sounds (Europe) and Heavy Psych Sounds (USA)

from March 31st 2023.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp

ISAAK - Sermonize (Album Review)

Release date: 27 November 2015 – Vinyl / 6th February 2016 - CD/Digital. Label: Small Stone/ Heavy Psych Sounds. Released. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Sermonize – Tracklisting

1. Whore Horse

2. The Peak

3. Fountainhead

4. Almonds & Glasses

5. Soar

6. Showdown

7. Yeah(Kyuss cover)

8. Lucifer's Road(White Ash cover)

9. Lesson n.1

10. The Frown Reloaded

11. The Phil's Theorem

12. Sermonize

Band Members:

Giacomo H. Boeddu - vocals

Francesco Raimondi - guitars

Massimo Perasso - bass guitar

Andrea Tabbi de Bernardi - drums, vocals

Review:

I really liked Isaak's debut, 'The Longer The Beard, The Harder The Sound', when it came out in 2013, and I still do. Great title for an album, by the way. But somehow they disappeared on me. Why, I don't know, however, with the release of their sophomore wax, 'Sermonize', not only do I have the honour to listen to a great new album, but my interest in the debut has been rekindled and then some. So read on what my thoughts are regarding the magnificent creation these Genovese signori have unleashed.

A fuzzed out early-sounding Soundgarden riff starts off 'Whore Horse' before the distorted voice of Giacomo kicks in. Short, sweet and fucked up is all I can say. A hypnotic and pulsating guitar initiates 'The Peak' turning it into a full-blown stoner song of the best kind. As the bass guitar and drums join I break my neck banging and thrashing around. All that is taken to a whole new level when signor Boeddu starts belting out the lyrics. Amazing people, amazing from the get-go. 'Fountainhead' picks up right where 'The Peak' left off although a more heavy-ass rock approach is utilized to great aplomb. And man, the chorus is brutal and crushing in a way I haven't heard in a while. Largely instrumental, 'Almonds & Glasses' is trippy and trance-inducing, especially the guitar riffs. Isaak really throws me out on a space trip if there ever was one. 

About halfway through, the band throws down the gauntlet and go full tilt like there's no tomorrow. Staying on the spaced-out path, 'Soar' reminds me of The Melvins performing on top of Vesuvius on the verge of eruption. Quirky, out there and heavy as hell, you hear! The band calls their music "twisted crazy stoner metal" and that could be no more true than on this track.

Oh yeah, sinister and in your face 'Showdown' buckle down to no one and it's like Vesuvius as finally erupted, spewing molten lava on us unsuspecting listeners. No mercy is shown here. In spite of all their heaviness and craziness, these Italians have a lot of humour. Just check out their cover of Kyuss' 'Yeah', I mean the original version is only 4 seconds long, Isaak has cut it down to 1! That, if anything, shows the guys doesn't take themselves too seriously. Don’t take me wrong though because Isaak does not fuck around with their music. But to throw in some humour, breaks the mould and shows the band are really down to earth, and I love it.

'Lucifer's Road' follows and is another cover, this time by White Ash. They are a band I've never heard of, so I can't compare Isaak's version...which is a good thing. Anyway, this version is more doomy than anything else on 'Sermonize', at least in the verses. Slower, more punishing only to switch to cajoling and seductive, everything explodes in the choruses. Taking a trip out to the Sonoran Desert, ‘Lesson n.1’ has a slightly slower tempo with quite a bit of Kyuss thrown in and best enjoyed with a glass of Cinque Terre. That bass guitar has my blood running with its thumping, distorted tone allowing the band free reigns to trip out. ‘The Frown Reloaded’ is another heavy-ass rocker but mixed with a lot of melody. It kicks and it bucks like a wild horse until it breaks free about halfway through the songs. And man, these Italians destroys! Oh yeah, Isaak are changing things up on ‘The Phil’s Theorem’.

Heavy psych is the name of the game where the bass guitar and the drums sets the mood excellently. Francesco’s guitar switches effortlessly between repetitive, hypnotic riffs and spaced-out solos while Giacomo’s husky and seductive voice is the last piece in this psychedelic trip. The title track ’Sermonize’ has the honour of closing out this fantastic album. Totally different than the rest of the songs musically, it still elegantly picks up on the psychedelic approach from ‘The Phil’s Theorem’. Multi-layered soft singing voices backed by a semi-acoustic and an electric guitar, we, the listeners are swiftly transported to a different dimension. A place of calmness and beauty, where peace of mind is quickly reached. A perfect ending to a perfect album!

What more is there to say about this wax, than has already been spoken? I was hooked from the moment I played ‘Sermonize’ and it has grown immensely with each spin. If you are into the stoner rock/metal field, there is no hesitating, because this is a must-have. Don’t hesitate because…well you need it!

To tie everything together with the beginning of this review, the release reconnected me with Isaak’s debut. So, I basically got two excellent albums at the same time. Isaak are a band set well apart from most others. They play music than has been kind of over-saturated for a while but they side-step any trappings easily with their bar to none song writing skills, musicianship and humour. So go check them out right now!

Words by Håkan Nyman

Thanks to Claire at Purple Sage PR for the promo. Sermonize is available to buy on Vinyl from Heavy Psych Sounds now and CD from Small StoneRecords from 06^th February 2016.

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp