Extermination Day - Be The Consequence (Album Review)

Release Date: August 5th 2022. Record Label: Hoove Child Records/Green Coyote Records. Format: CD/DD/Cassette

Be The Consequence - Tracklisting

1.Be The Consequence 02:59

2.Make Yer Bullets Count 02:24

3.The Exterminator 03:59

4.F-89 Scorpion 03:10

5.Ghetto Ghouls 02:19

6.Kill (Like a Motherfucker) 03:45

7.Telescopes on You 03:48

8.Crackin' Skulls 03:14

9.Street Brawler 01:59

10.Grip of the Grain 04:44

Members

Nate Towle - guitars, vocals, bass, keyboards, songwriting and lyrics

Jason Oberuc - drums, percussion

Review

Be The Consequence is the debut full length album from Punk/Heavy/Doom Metallers Extermination Day. This is a fast-paced and aggressive slab of 70s Punk Rock, NWOBHM, Heavy Metal and some modern day catchy Doom Metal grooves. The album is partially inspired by Seventies Classic Exploitation film The Exterminator which you can tell by the fantastic album cover. There’s even a song called The Exterminator on the album. So that’s a big clue indeed. 

Exterimnation Day is inspired by bands such as The Ramones, Motorhead, Trouble and Saint Vitus which is an interesting mix. The album revels with it’s forthright nature with the speed punk sounds being played at such a fast pace. The overall theme of this album is one of REBELLION and to STICK IT TO THE MAN. Maybe, inspired by the counterculture of Seventies “B” movies and underground music which you can feel in the boisterous lyrics contained within the first few tracks of Be The Consequence, Make Yer Bullets Count and The Exterminator. 

The production of the album is ROUGH and READY with the album sounding like it was recorded back in the 1970’s and only being discovered today by modern Doom Metal audiences. The Heavy Metal vibes moves between Speed Metal and Thrash Metal with a roguish charm and that’s perhaps down to the super-confident vocal performance of Nate Towle. I’ve been a fan of Nate’s ever since his work with Wicked Inquisition and Satan’s Satyrs. Nate embodies the rebellious Punk Rocker embracing the new dawn of Heavy Metal and this energy shines throughout this album.

The album maybe runs out of steam towards the end. However, this album is packed full of great songs that superbly showcases the classic sounds from the era of 70’s and 80’s Hard Rock and Heavy Metal. The modern day DOOM METAL grooves allow Extermination Day to be extremely relevant within today’s world and this is heard throughout on the album with the punchy and spiky lyrics.

Other standout tracks include: F-89 Scorpion, Ghetto Ghouls, Kill (Like A Motherfucker), Crackin’ Skulls and Grip Of The Grain.

Jason Oberuc impresses greatly on Drums and Percussion duties with Jason bringing the DOOM and GLOOM aspect to the album. Jason’s drumming skills are one of the best things about the album. As they bring real SOUL and MENACE to the album.

Be The Consequence is an album that will impress a lot of folks within the Punk Rock, Heavy Metal and Doom Metal underground scenes. If you miss the heavy SPEED METAL and PUNK ROCK days of Motorhead then Extermination Day is the next best thing.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

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Early Moods - Early Moods (Album Review)

Release Date: August 05th 2022. Record Label: RidingEasy Records. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Early Moods - S/T - Tracklisting

1.Return To Salem's Gate 2.Live To Suffer 04:24 3.Early Moods 4.Defy Thy Name 5.Memento Mori 6.Last Rites 7.Curse The Light 8.Damnation 9.Funeral Macabre

Members

Eddie Andrade - Guitar

Elix Feliciano - Bass

Oscar Hernandez - Guitar

Alberto Alcaraz - Vocals

Chris Flores - Drums

Review

Early Moods debut self-titled album shows a band fully aware of the sounds and influences that can easily be heard on this album. Combining 70's Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Punk Rock and Doom Metal with a streetwise attitude. The vocals and lyrical content are inspired by the 80s Heavy Metal scene with the band breaking into HEAVY DOOM vocal passages with a frantic fast-paced Punk Rock environment.

Early Moods is a band operating in the classic sounds of Doom Metal/Heavy Metal and whose debut album is downright brilliantly entertaining and the killer guitar solos feel inspired by the guitar virtuoso legends of the 1980's leave you wanting to hear more. The album does feel like a classic Black Sabbath or Saint Vitus record being released for the first time today though with a few nods to the heavy hitters of the 70's/80's Hard Rock/Heavy Metal scene.

The whole tone of the album is one of REBELLION and Early Moods kick up a whole range of trouble on tracks such as: Return To Salem's Gate, Live To Suffer, Early Moods and Broken. As the band moves from classic sounding Doom Punk and Heavy Metal. Each member gets the chance to impress with the multitude of different genres being quite catchy and aggressive at the same time. The whole tone of the first four opening songs is pitch perfect with Early Moods adding bleak gloom based atmospherics to the album with whatever style of music they decide to play for that particular  song. 

Early Moods captured my attention the most with the changing of 80's Heavy Metal Guitars to a faster change of style that reminds of Iron Maiden, Thin Lizzy, Budgie and Metallica in places. The vocals are impressive when they stay clean based or for a more dominant aggressive growl on certain stages of the song.

The band continue with their threatening and "in-yer-face" style of music slowly moving further into the Doom Rock/Metal arena. The band play heavier grooves and become bolder with their creative choices on the later stages of the album. More wicked and despairing vocals with a heavy metal attitude that you don't normally hear or associate with the underground "DOOM" scene. 

Other standout songs include: Memento Mori, Funeral Rites, Curse Of The Light and Funeral Macabre.

Even though we hear many familiar sounds, influences and themes on this album. Early Moods have managed a truly captivating and original Doom Metal sound of their own. They have taken a "Sandbox" approach with the record and blend the best elements of Doom Metal and Heavy Metal for a gloomy and riff-tastic adventure. This album is jam-packed with epic guitar solos and ballsy vocals to match.

This record has more than enough blasts of DOOM METAL FIREPOWER for Early Moods to make themselves more known with. This is dynamite entertainment. If you grew up on a steady diet of 70's Doom Metal and the thrilling spectacle of 80's Heavy Metal then these guys are the real deal. 

Early Moods debut self titled release is a must have album.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to RidingEasy Records for the promo.

Early Moods self titled album will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via RidingEasy Records from August 5th 2022.

Links

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Throw Caution To The Wind - An Interview with R.I.P.

Today's guests are about to release a highly anticipated album that will have the Doom/Stoner Metal community talking for a long time to come. They call their blend of music – STREET DOOM.

And these guys don't FUCK around where the riffs are concerned. Their debut album – In The Wind – is already starting to receive some impressive reviews. Our team member, ThisHairyGuy, said this about the album.

“In The Wind’ is the impressive output of a reliable and well-oiled, vintage groove machine that relentlessly and unapologetically keeps plugging away as newer models come off the production line, fall apart and die. It is the classic VW Camper that hurtles past some guy standing on the hard shoulder looking furiously into the smoking bonnet of his modern 4x4. It is a record that is completely comfortable with the size of its dick and has nothing to prove.”

I had to find out about these self-professed – Street Doomsters – and see what makes them tick and what the future has in store for us all....

Hi guys. How are things with you today.

Another day closer to death…

So why did you choose the name R.I.P. for your band. Though I'm glad you did as it's awesome to see a band without the terms – BONG, WIZARD, WEED, ELECTRIC in their band names.

We wanted a name that reflected what we wanted the band to sound like: straight forward and morbid, and also many of our fans do not know how to read so we wanted to make it something easy to spell and pronounce for them.

How did the band get together. Did you all know each other before forming the band.

Angel and Fuzz have been playing music together in different bands for the last seven years, when they decided to start R.I.P. they knew they needed the most depraved knuckle dragger in the northwest to keep the rhythm and Willie D was the only dude who had enough white zombie CD's to make the cut. We went through at least four or five different bass players who couldn’t handle the R.I.P. lifestyle or didn’t have long enough hair until we recruited Jon the mingler Mullett, a dude Angel and Fuzz have been touring with in other bands for years, and the real R.I.P. finally solidified.

For a first time listener looking to discover your band - How would you describe your music. Though I see your music is being classed as “Street Doom” - What is STREET DOOM. Love that term!!!

Seems like every day there's a new “heavy” “doom” band that tries to be the slowest most magickal group ever, burning candles and herbs on a stage draped in “mystical” symbols, reading their mom’s chicken soup for the Wiccan soul book for song titles, writing concept albums about their astrological sign etc etc, in R.I.P. we want heavy metal out of the stars and into the streets. We write songs about the shit we experience everyday, fear, death, drugs, panic, real shit. We don't have 50 pedals hooked to each instrument, we don't try and mystify anyone with some fake witchcraft shit we read on Wikipedia, its just street doom plain and simple.

Your new album – IN THE WIND – is a brilliant seedy, dark and twisted tale into the world of Occult based Doom Metal. Well that's my take on it. If you have to describe your upcoming album in your own words to a perspective new fan – What would you say to them.

West coast street doom, nothing more nothing less.

Was recording the album an easy or hard process to complete.

We’re a live band primarily so it was a challenge to capture what we do live in the studio, but Andrew Grosse has always been the fifth member of R.I.P. he’s recorded everything we’ve ever done since our first demo in 2012, so working with him made it easier. We’ve all been a fan of Brian Ellis’ work with Egyptian Lover so we knew we could trust him to craft the street doom sound we needed in the mixing, and he definitely came through.

The album is being released by the excellent TOTEM CAT RECORDS. How did you get involved with them.

The label owner messaged us saying that he heard a few tracks on YouTube and was curious to see who was releasing it and that he would be highly interested in working with us in the future. we told him that the songs that he heard were actually new songs and we were still trying to figure out who was gonna release it. The rest was history.

How hard is it being a band in today's world. What are the most difficult aspects in being in a band.

Our biggest challenge is finding bands that don’t suck to play shows with, and close second is find audiences that aren’t wimps to play to. Its bleak out there.

What is the song-writing dynamic in the band. Is it a group collective or down to one individual.

Fuzz handles the lyrics, Angel writes the riffs, but the process of melting all that shit down into an actual song is everyone

Can we talk about the fantastic album cover. That's perhaps one of the best covers I've seen in a long time. It looks it was inspired by classic 70s/80s Heavy Metal records. Was that the case.

We talked with Adam about concepts and aesthetics we dug, 70s sleaze, 90s southern rap, spooky shit, tough shit, and he ran with it and cooked up a masterpiece. We’ve been playing shows with Adam’s various projects throughout the existence of R.I.P. and we knew he more than anybody picked up what we were putting down and could turn our sonic message into a morbid vision

I see you got Adam Burke to design the cover. How did you get Adam involved as he's drawn some amazing album covers over the years within the Doom/Stoner Metal scene (Adam has designed covers for Sons Of Huns, Ancient Warlocks, Danava, Diesto and Ice Dragon. He's also Guitarist/Vocalist with FELLWOODS)

Angel and Fuzz have been playing shows with Adam around the Northwest heavy scene since before R.I.P. and Fellwoods were around, and his new project Pushy is one of the best bands out right now we play with those guys all the time, he’s been down with R.I.P. since day one we’ve played shows with all his bands throughout the years so it only made sense to get him to apply his paintbrush to the project, he’s one of the few that really gets it.

What inspired you to become a musician? Any particular album, band or life-changing event that told you – Yeah, that's what I want to do....

Death is always on my shoulder, never letting me forget the grave is the only guarantee and we’re living life on loan, i got no choice but to bang my head and scream with whatever little time the reaper lets me have before that scythe comes down forever, there's no time to waste so play loud, play hard, play with your guts, be real before you’re bereaved, that's whats kept me dragging myself up on stage the last 15 years, that's the attitude i bring to R.I.P.

Will you be touring this record heavily. If so what dates are you performing and what can people expect from the live R.I.P. experience.

We’re doing a full US tour this spring, probably another west coast tour this summer, and got our eyes on Europe after that. When R.I.P. comes to your town you can expect all wimps to wither under the scythe, you’ll see leather, hair, spikes and studs, you’ll hear the most regressive rock n roll to waste your brain cells to, and Fuzz will probably talk allot of shit to you too. Here are the dates so far:

3/7- Seattle, wa @ lucky liquor

3/8 - Portland, or @ starbar

3/9 - Sacramento, ca

3/10 - San Francisco, CA @thee parkside

3/11 - San Diego, CA @ till 2 club

3/12 - Flagstaff, AZ @ flag brew

3/13 - El Paso, TX @ grynde bar

3/14 - San Antonio, TX @Faust Tavern

3-17 - New Orleans, LA @ Siberia

3/19 - Birmingham, AL @ spring street firehouse

3/20 - Columbia, SC @art bar

3/21 - Ashville, NC @ static age

3/22 - Richmond, VA @ strange matter

3/23 - Baltimore, MD @ sidebar

3/24 - Brooklyn, NY @ st vitus

3/25 - Portland, ME @ genos

3/26 - Boston, MA @ obriens

3/27- Philadelphia,PA @ kung-fu necktie

3/28 - Buffalo, ny @ hoyt house

3/29 - Pittsburgh, pa @ gooskis

3/30 - Indianapolis, in @ Indiana city beer

3/31 - Chicago, IL @ smiler coogans

4/1 - Milwaukee, WI @ high dive

4/2 - Minneapolis, MI @ rat hole

4/3 - Lawrence, KS

4/4 - Denver, CO @ bar bar

4/5 - Grand Junction, CO

4/6 - Salt Lake City, UT @ the underground

4/8 - Eureka, CA

4/9 - Oakland, CA

4/10 - Salem, OR

Before you go, do you have anything to say to your fans.

Street Doom AINT A Spectator Sport. BANG YOUR FUCKIN HEAD!!

Words by Steve Howe and R.I.P.

Thanks to Claire at Purple Sage PR for arranging this interview. Thanks to R.I.P. for taking the time out to talking to me. In The Wind will be available to buy on DD/Vinyl from Totem Cat Records from March 2016.

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R.I.P. - In The Wind (Album Review)

Release date: March 2016. Label: Totem Cat Records. Format: DD/Vinyl

In The Wind – Tracklisting

1. The Scythe

2. In The wind Part 1

3. Tremble

4. Black Leather

5. Smoke and Lightning

6. In The Wind Part 2

7. The Tombstone

8. Bereaved

9. Brave In The Grave

10. In The Wind Part 3

Band Members:

Fuzz – Vocals

Angel Martinez – Guitar

Jon Mullett – Bass

Willie D – Drums

Review:

Have you ever dropped in on your mate’s band rehearsal and opened the door to find them already lost, eyes closed, writhing and spellbound amidst the throws of a fucking sweet jam? Intro track ‘The Scythe’ is sort of like that, but you have stumbled through the door into a vortex in the fourth dimension; a heady haven where drugs are still cool, where the chicks rock a mean bush and where groove is timeless. This particular fucking sweet jam hasn’t stopped to catch a breath since the 70’s and you hope that it will continue to last forever.

‘In The Wind’ is the impressive output of a reliable and well-oiled, vintage groove machine that relentlessly and unapologetically keeps plugging away as newer models come off the production line, fall apart and die. It is the classic VW Camper that hurtles past some guy standing on the hard shoulder looking furiously into the smoking bonnet of his modern 4x4. It is a record that is completely comfortable with the size of its dick and has nothing to prove.

Hogtied and convulsing in avid delectation, R.I.P drag you right into the epicentre of their fucked up storm as a shrill, melodic voice resounds through the tempest with grave messages of desolation and chaos. Warm tones with more fuzz than Iommi’s upper lip deliver a superb array of solid riffs that will make you want to drink, drive, fight and fuck. All at the same time. It is an assembly of satisfying sounds; from the slow, beastly grooves of ‘In The Wind Part 1’, ‘Black Leather’, ‘Smoke & Lightning’, ‘Bereaved’ and ‘Brave In The Grave’, through the skull swinging, driving force of ‘The Scythe’, ‘Tremble’ and ‘In The Wind Part 2’ to the lulling chill of ‘The Tombstone’ and ‘In The Wind Part 3’.

R.I.P will be touring the Totem Cat Records release across the US this coming spring. If you have the means to be there then be sure not to miss out. This is a diverse collection of mammoth songs that deserves a buzzing crowd that are up for a party.

Words by ThisHairyGuy

Thanks to Claire at Purple Sage PR for the promo. In The Wind will be available to buy on DD and Double Vinyl from Totem Cat Records in March 2016.

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