Saturnalia Temple - Paradigm Call (Album Review)

Release Date: March 01st 2024. Record Label: Listenable Records. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Paradigm Call - Tracklisting

1.Drakon 02:08

2.Revel In Dissidence 08:55

3.Paradigm Call 07:42

4.Among The Ruins 05:16

5.Black Smoke 07:31

6.Ascending The Pale 07:01

7.Empty Chalice 05:03

8.Kaivalya 05:04

Members

Tommie Eriksson (Guitars/Vocals)

Pelle Åhman (Drums)

Gottfrid Åhman (Bass)

Review

Paradigm Call is the new album from Blackened Doom/Stoner Metallers Saturnalia Temple who give the classic Californian Stoner Metal landscape another pitch-bleak and aggressive makeover with their most impressive record to date. You may not consider Saturnalia Temple as your standard Stoner Metal band and there's a good reason for that. As the band delves into the fine arts of Black Metal and Drone Metal for a more devilish based sound that has a fearless attitude. 

The best description I’ve heard given to Saturnalia Temple was “Imagine if KYUSS added Black Metal to their classic Stoner Metal sound”. That description has always stayed with me ever since I heard their classic debut album Aion Of Drakon. Their music has evolved tremendously since that time taking moments of Distorted Fuzz, Atmospheric Doom and Sludge Metal with the powerful harsh growls that power the creative narrative especially on Paradigm Call.

The eight songs that make up Paradigm Call sees Saturnalia Temple evoke memories of Electric Wizard at their most fearless when the more Blackened Doom Metal elements took the band away from the standard Doom/Stoner Metal sound. You can feel similar vibes from this album with moments of heavy droned out Psychedelic movements appearing within the first half of the album especially on tracks such as Revel In Dissidence, Paradigm Call and Among The Ruins. 

However, like all great Heavy Metal bands, Saturnalia Temple always manages to conjure up melodic instrumental sounds amongst the bleak carnage within the whole narrative of the album. There’s even moments of Desert Rock, Hard Rock and Fuzz Rock which comes mostly through the non-stop essence of classic guitar shredding which brings a touch of 1980’s Hard Rock finesse to the album.

The album is wonderfully trippy and cosmic which becomes more dominant on the second half of the record with Saturnalia Temple merging down-tuned heaviness and amplifier distortion with long drawn out Psychedelic/Spaced Out passages with the constant gloomy backdrop of further Doomgaze and mind-expanding WEEDIAN grooves leaving you wanting to hear more.

Other outstanding tracks include: Black Smoke,  Ascending The Pale and the sublime closing instrumental track Kaivalya with a gut-wrenching bass-line working alongside a thrilling modern day Doom/Stoner Metal flow that slowly ends dominantly and with soulful purpose. 

The production values are off the scale with Saturnalia Temple bringing a classic 1990’s attitude to a darker and slightly decaying modern day atmosphere which allows Paradigm Call to be the bands most outstanding release to date.

Words by Steve Howe

Paradigm Call is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Listenable Records.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Mars Red Sky - The Task Eternal (Album Review)

Release date: September 27th 2019. Label: Listenable Records. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

The Task Eternal – Tracklisting

1. The Proving Grounds

2. Collector

3. Recast

4. Reacts

5. Crazy Hearth

6. Hollow King

7. Soldier On

8. A Far Cry

Members

Julien Pras - guitars, vocals

Jimmy Kinast - bass guitar, vocals

Mathieu Gazeau - drums

Review

It is always exciting times when Mars Red Sky releases a new album. So when opus four, 'The Task Eternal' is upon us it is nothing but joy to hear them play the beauty they have created with their magic wands. Don't know where their source of inspiration and creativity comes from, I mean four full-lengths and six EPs in 12 years is something else. I, for one, am not complaining though because Mars Red Sky are one of those rare entities who gets better and better with each new release. Perhaps they are like a red claret from their home region of Bordeaux which gets richer, fuller and tastier as the years roll on.

There's no mistaking that this is a Mars Red Sky long player since all their wonderful traits are present; the groove, the melodies, the other-worldly sounds and amazing imagery they project are all there. However, to me, there is one big difference, or addition, if you will. A darker tone is present in the sound throughout, which subsequently brings a new twist to the proceedings.

It all starts in opener, ‘The Proving Grounds’. The drums and the bass guitar really lay it down while keeping the pace mid-tempo. And that, combined with trippy guitars and hypnosis inducing vocals floating on top of everything, brings forth this new, darker feel to Mars Red Sky’s music. Wonderful! And this continues on ‘Collector’. Here the rhythm section is even more sinister with the guitar tone moving in a sphere between dark and spaced out layering. All while the vocals retains a trance-inducing meditative stance. Dropping down from mid-tempo to doom pace and stripped down ‘Recast’ is a strange but wonderful beast. Jimmy and Mathieu are relentless on the bass guitar and drums respectively which allows Julien to switch back and forth between crushing riffs, intergalactic solos and general badassery. It leads into the instrumental ‘Reacts’ without skipping a beat. However, it becomes more upbeat early on as the band kind of jams out…only to become almost funeral doom. And that solo, man, absolutely wonderful!

Almost bluesy wrapped in a slow lurking doom cloak ‘Crazy Hearth’ is mesmerizing and seductive. A lot of that comes from the extraordinary combination of the music and the vocals. Again Mars Red Sky are heavy and dark but the vocals, many times sung in harmony, creates amazing images in a way only this trio can do it. That beat in ‘Hollow King’ is pretty intense as the guitar cuts down everything in sight. This is sinister, indeed. All of a sudden the band launches out into outer space with wonderfully trippy segment. The odd thing here though are the Ghost-like vocals, especially in the chorus. Works great within the song and is as usual an opposite pole to the music. A touch faster than the other songs, not much but somewhat more, ‘Soldier On’ is very fuzzed out and I love it. Keeping a spaced out echo on the vocals makes the song dreamy and the solo increases this feeling as well. Kind of how I imagine an intergalactic trip through supernovas would be like. Closer ‘A Far Cry’ is an instrumental beauty with mainly an acoustic guitar and a bass guitar playing backed by space sounds, creating suggestive and wonderful landscapes (spacescapes?). A perfect contrast to the darker feel of ‘The Task Eternal’ and an invoker of hope and peace.

Mars Red Sky never disappoint, instead they step it up and push boundaries and genre rules away crafting and creating amazing music process. This is no more evident than on ‘The Task Eternal’. Fantastic stuff from a fantastic band, so I urge you, dear reader, if you have never listened to these giants….do so! Your world of music will never be the same and it will be better!

Words by Håkan Nyman

Thanks to Claire at Purple Sage PR. The Task Eternal will be released on CD/DD/Vinyl via Listenable Records from September 27^th 2019.

Links:

Official | Facebook | BandCamp

Tour News: MOS GENERATOR - USA 2016 TOUR DATES

MOS GENERATOR ANNOUNCES ADDITIONAL USA 2016 TOUR DATES IN SUPPORT OF THEIR LATEST THREE RELEASES, INCLUDING MULTIPLE SHOW DATES WITH CASTLE & YEAR OF THE COBRA!

November 4th, 2016 (Port Orchard, WA.) – ‘Mos Generator’ has just announced additional 2016 USA West Coast tour dates in support of their two brand new EP releases, “The Firmament: Direction of Years” (Stickman Records) and “Lies of Liberty ‘87” (Self released digital download), as well as their latest studio LP release, “Abyssinia” (Listenable Records).

The band will start the tour off in Seattle with a show alongside ‘Castle’ & ‘Ancient Warlocks’, and then continue with the entire US West Coast, as well as Phoenix & Las Vegas, ending the tour in Tacoma with ‘Year of the Cobra’ & ‘Ancient Warlocks’. This tour will include ten show dates with ‘Castle’, and six dates with ‘Year of the Cobra’.

San Francisco’s ‘Castle’, consisting of Liz Blackwell (vocals/bass), Mat Davis (guitar/vocals), and Al McCartney (drums), has maintained a relentless touring schedule since the release of “Under Siege” in 2014 with multiple expeditions throughout the US, Europe, and Canada. They have garnered numerous awards in multiple countries, and have played some of the more popular underground festivals including Roadburn and both the London and Berlin Desertfests. ‘Castle’ will be headlining ten of the shows on this Mos Generator tour schedule!

Seattle’s ‘Year of the Cobra’, consisting of Amy Tung Barrysmith (vocals/bass) and Jon Barrysmith (drums) hit the ground running in 2015 with their EP release “The Black Sun”. They currently just released their debut LP, “In the Shadows Below”, with STB Records, and have announced touring plans for the US and Europe in 2016 & 2017. ‘Year of the Cobra’ will be joining the bill on six dates during this ‘Mos Generator’ tour!

Mos Generator USA Fall 2016 West Coast Tour Dates;

• November 25^th - Seattle, WA @ The Funhouse (w/ Castle & Ancient Warlocks)
• November 26^th - Bellingham, WA @ The Shakedown (w/ Castle & Year of the Cobra)
• November 27^th - Olympia, WA @ The Obsidian (w/ Castle & Year of the Cobra)
• November 28^th - Portland, OR @ The Raven (w/ Castle)
• November 29^th - Eugene, OR @ Old Nick's Pub (w/ Castle)
• November 30^th - Grants Pass, OR @ The G Street Bar and Grill (w/ Castle)
• December 1^st - San Francisco, CA @ Thee Parkside (w/ Castle)
• December 2^nd - Santa Cruz, CA @ The Blue Lagoon (w/ Castle)
• December 3^rd - Ventura, CA @ The Garage (w/ Castle)
• December 4^th - Glendale, CA @ The Complex (w/ Castle)
• December 5^th - San Diego CA @ The Merrow
• December 6^th - Phoenix AZ @ TBA
• December 7^th - Las Vegas NV @ The Dive Bar
• December 8^th - Sacramento CA @ The Starlite Lounge (w/ Year of the Cobra)
• December 9^th - Arcata CA @ The Alibi (w/ Year of the Cobra)
• December 10^th - Medford OR @ Johnny B's (w/ Year of the Cobra)
• December 11^th - Tacoma WA @ The Valley (w/ Year of the Cobra & Ancient Warlocks)

Live video of ‘Mos Generator’ in Copenhagen (2015) here; 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoGhHIOEphs

Official video for the song “Catspaw” from the “Abyssinia” LP;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KFwHFeTbR8

Port Orchard’s ‘Mos Generator’, consists of Tony Reed (vocals/guitar), Sean Booth (bass), and Jon Garrett (drums). This current powerhouse line up has already released an LP and two EPs just this year, put multiple tours to Europe and around parts of the US under their belts, and have much more lined up for 2017. They are only picking up speed as they go! Come out and experience it live to see what the well-deserved hype is all about!

MOS GENERATOR - 

https://www.facebook.com/MosGenerator

https://mosgenerator.bandcamp.com

CASTLE

https://www.facebook.com/CastleSF

http://www.heavycastle.com

YEAR OF THE COBRA

https://www.facebook.com/yearofthecobraband

https://yearofthecobra.bandcamp.com

LISTENABLE RECORDS

https://www.facebook.com/listenablerecs

http://www.listenable.net

STICKMAN RECORDS

https://www.facebook.com/Stickman-Records-1522369868033940

UK Tour News: Mars Red Sky / Elephant Tree UK Tour May 2016

Snuff Lane is absolutely honoured to be working with Mars Red Sky and Elephant Tree for the coordination and arrangement of a May UK Tour; which will take place in support of both bands new releases.

The tour is scheduled for 5 dates throughout the UK in the following cities:

Praise For the Burning Soul UK Tour
12/05 – Exchange and The Stag and Hounds, Bristol (Six Band Event)
13/05 – The Phoenix, Coventry
14/05 – Birthdays Dalston, London (support TBC)
15/05 – Rebellion Manchester, Manchester (NOIZ All-Dayer)
16/05 – Audio Glasgow, Glasgow

More Info: Praise For the Burning Soul UK Tour - Mars Red Sky (FR) & Elephant Tree