The Lumbar Endeavor - The Worst Music For The Worst People (Album Review)

Release Date: October 31st 2024. Record Label: Smorgasbord Records. Format: Cassette/Download

The Worst Music For The Worst People - Track Listing:

Garbageman

New Kind Of Kick

Love Me

I Can’t Hardly Stand It

She Said

Goo Goo Muck

Save It

Human Fly

Drug Train

TV Set

Uranium Rock

Members

Aaron Edge - Everything.

Review

Doom/Sludge Metal collective The Lumbar Endeavor will release a new album called The Worst Music For The Worst People this upcoming Halloween. The album is a covers album solely focusing upon the legendary Psychobilly/Surf/Punk Rock band The Cramps. This isn’t the first time that The Lumbar Endeavor have released a covers album as they’ve previously paid tribute to legends such as AC/DC and SLEEP in recent years.

You can read how this album came about and what it means to Aaron Edge.

“It's the early 80s and I'm still young enough for my parents to force me to attend the family's church Youth Group. At the height of my teen angst, and just before I ran away for the first of many times, a strange figure in a trench coat showed up to one of said forced meetings. 

His combat boots, chains and eye makeup intrigued me. At that time, the most punk thing blasting out of my Walkman was The Police. I just had to know what blasted out of this new shadowy figure's portable cassette player. A few cigarettes shared together on a picnic table later yielded the following: his name was Gavin and he was listening to The Cramps' "Bad Music for Bad People". Over the course of the next few days, he also turned me on to The Angry Samoans, Dead Kennedys, The Stiff Little Fingers and Crass. This was my new and exciting unpaved road, an unlit path I'd set out on, never to look back.

Well, I suppose I'm looking back now.

Thank you Gavin, wherever you are. This is all your damn fault. Here's The Lumbar Endeavor's version of that incredible handful of songs, the same bones, but with a different putrid skin." — Aaron Edge of The Lumbar Endeavor

The Lumbar Endeavor have taken the most well known and classic tracks The Cramps released throughout their illustrious career and have put their own creative spin on things. Some tracks stick originally close to the original whilst others go outside the box with the music being powered by Punk Rock, Doom Metal, Sludge Metal, Industrial Metal and experimental Psychedelic  beats. If you’ve heard Aaron’s tribute albums to SLEEP and AC/DC then you know what to expect. My advice with this record is give it a listen and enjoy the wild ride that Aaron has delivered here.

This is Aaron’s own interpretation of these classic tracks and he pulls this off with great style and paying respect to The Cramps. The opening batch of songs of Garabageman, New Kind Of Kick and Love Me stay devilishly close to the original at times but Aaron’s frantic Industrial based growls and vocals add a sense of decaying vibe to the track. The instrumentals are mostly stripped back and match the sounds of the grimy originals. There’s a subtle Noise Rock flavour that Aaron employs for his versions of all the tracks and it should keep dedicated fans of The Cramps wholly intrigued to say the least.

I’m not the biggest fan of The Cramps and I only know a handful of tracks such as Garabageman, Love Me, GooGoo Muck, Human Fly and TV Set. So there were some classic tracks that were a new experience to me which I had to compare and make notes against especially with I Can’t Hardly Stand It, Save It and Uranium Rock. Aaron manages to capture the raw sounding Punk Rock spirit of the original recordings whilst putting his own creative stamp on things. The vocals maybe too experimental or surreal for some but at least they’re quite different to the original.

The Worst Music For The Worst People is perhaps suited for fans of both The Cramps and The Lumbar Endeavor in general. The sound of the album is quite aggressive and experimental which gives the whole record a NO HOLDS BARRED and NO FUCKS GIVEN attitude throughout which ultimately seals the deal of this being another excellent covers/tribute album from The Lumbar Endeavor.

You begin to realize that Halloween is the perfect time for The Lumbar Endeavor to release The Worst Music For The Worst People. As Aaron has made sure there’s more than enough SPOOKY and GHOULISH sounds to keep long time fans of The Cramps mightily impressed and superbly entertained for a long time to come.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to The Lumbar Endeavor for the promo.

The Worst Music For The Worst People will be available to buy on Cassette/Digital Download via Smorgasbord Records from Thursday 31st October 2024.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Free Ride - Acido y Puto (Album Review)

Release Date: August 09th 2024. Record Label: Small Stone Records. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Acido y Puto: Tracklisting

1.Space Nomad 08:33

2.Outsider 04:27

3.Kosmik Swell 09:37

4.Vice 03:52

5.Nazaré 09:32

6.Steamroller 04:33

7.Joy 04:30

8.Blackout 03:41

9.Living for Today 04:24

Members

Borja Fresno - Guitar, vocals, percussions and synth

Victor Bedmar - Bass

Carlos Bedmar - Drums

Review

Free Ride.  The name evokes a long tube ride or perhaps a powder run down a freshly snowed upon mountain.  Acido y Puto is the coolest, most vibing Cali stoner rock album I've heard this year, and these guys aren't from California.  Hailing from Spain, Free Ride is the summer hit sensation of the heavy underground scene this year.  This record sustains hot stoner surf sensibilities from start to finish. The scorching grooves and riff require SPF 50 for safe listening.  

Free Ride might currently be the most California sounding band ever not from California.  Surf grooves, hot rods, girls on the beach carrying shortboards into the ocean with a bright yellow, cool sun beaming down...put on your shades cause this is some blinded-by-the-sun, heavy underground rock and roll, this is Free Ride.

Free Ride is Borja Fresno on guitar and vocals (percussion and synth as well); Victor Bedmar on bass and Carlos Bedmar on drums.  The rhythm section is tight, I was not surprised that the players are brothers, they sound like they've played together forever.  This is Free Ride's 2nd full length album and it's mind blowing!

It's not fair to confine the sound of Free Ride to California alone. There is some southern grittiness and European desert influences are evident here.  Free Ride forges their own unique blend of Cali stoner, hard rock, surf inspired grooves and riffs from Spain.  I remember listening to Fu Manchu 20 years ago and feeling this type of vibe.  It's a lofty comparison but Free Ride has delivered a top notch, landmark record here and I think comparisons to some legends are not unwarranted.

This record kicks off with a nice long jam, Space Nomad.  This 8:34 minute song has some Brant Bjork-like cool grooves, a bit of space psych ripping that was really unique, all coming together over El Supremo-ish sonic landscapes.  While evoking many influences Free Ride retains a unique sound amongst Heavy Underground bands.  They are a real breath of sunny, salty beach air in a dank forest of dark, foggy mists. There is something bright about Free Ride.  Space Nomad is a happy sativa flowering in the sun, waiting to be smoked by the unsuspecting listener so it can take them to the far reaches of the galaxy.  Prepared to be propelled into an intense future full of heady riffs, spacey introspection and mind altering solos.  

S Patrick Brooks reviewing the album on his KICK-ASS YouTube Channel

Outsider is a whirwindy rocking jam, with laid back but heavy stoner vocals.  This one does sound a little like an outsider, ditching the California vibe for a trip to Texas.  This song has a gritty sound reminiscent of Wo Fat's Lost Highway.  The fuzz is thick on this track and it sounds perfectly set against the drawling vocals.  You can hear a lot of kick ass Texas blues heavy rock in this one and it's delicious as a fat ole Texas porterhouse chased by an ice cold Lone Star. This track is meatier than any bbq rib I have eaten lately.  So Good!

Cosmic Swell sends the band back to California.  San Diego to be a little more specific.  This hot number sounds like it could have been the third side of the 2016's Harshtoke/Earthless split. This song seemingly pays tribute to the bad-ass instrumental scene in San Diego circa 2015.  Innovative guitar riffs over rock steady drums and bass drive this sonic crusher through dramatic swells and troughs, riding towering waves and shooting tubes with style.  This is a classic instrumental that doesn't have a dull moment in it.

The seduction of Vice will grab you and make you take a long listen to some rock steady advice.  A bit punk rock sounding here, with a little Jane's Addiction thrown in, this brings back some late 90s stoner rock vibes in a wonderfully fuzzy way. Featuring a killer vocal presentation, fuzzy as fuck guitars and perfect pacing, this is a nice hard rocker that transitions the listener from the beach to a seedier side of Sothern California...you get some dirty West Hollywood in Vice appropriately enough.

A few of the next tracks have a little San Clemente influence, you can hear some Fu Manchu and early Nebula in Nazare, Steamroller, Joy and Blackout.  Fuzzed out riffs, surfing inspired lyrics fuel Nazare, named after a famous big wave location in Portugal.  The lyrics are classic surf:

"There's no eternal wave

Get on the board again

Everything has an end

But there's still fun my friend"

And there is still fun!  This jam is the perfect beach tune.  Nazare is the highlight of the album for me.  I grew up on the Beach Boys and this ripper hits just right, melding classic beach vibes with the current tones and sensibilities of the modern desert stoner rock.  So much joy on this track I wanted to grab a skateboard/surfboard and just go!!!  

Steamroller and Joy continue the San Clemente vibe with tough rock attitudes with references to addiction and "sins".  They are punchy driving hard rock songs with killer riffs throughout and tasteful solos punctuating the tough vocals.  These two songs have a similar vibe, getting off the beach to examine the rougher side of coastal life.  There is a litte reality and darkness on Acido y Puto and you can find it in these two songs.

Blackout leaves the beach and heads to Las Vegas.  Man, they nail the city's vibe in Blackout:

Sin City, That's all I want

Sin City, fucked to the bone

I mean, that's Las Vegas, right?  I had my final relapse after I quit drinking in Vegas and this song resonates with me a lot!  A crazy party song, this bad boy rocks right from the start and never stops melting faces to the end.  Super fun song!

The final cut, Living for Today has a little of that Fu Manchu thing going on.  The lyrical presentation, the tones and themes remind me a bit of one of the biggest acts in the Heavy Underground but Free Ride is never derivative.  This album is uniquely Free Ride.  They pay tribute to other sounds while remaining true to themselves and the music.  This album is a nice little tour of the western US influence on the heavy underground scene.  This album is impossible to stop listening to.  I think it might be my favorite thing I've heard this year.  I live in Colorado and weirdly I'm waxing up my surfboard and I'm ready to FREE RIDE some waves!  

Go get this one.  GET IT NOW!  Free Ride - Acido y Puto 

Words by S Patrick Brooks (The Heavy Underground Farm Report)

Thanks to Earsplit PR for the promo.

Acido y Puto is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Smallstone Records.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Virgin Vacation - Dapple Patterns (Album Review)

Release Date: April 02nd 2024. Record Label: Various. Formats:CD/ Cassette/Vinyl/Download

Dapple Patterns - Tracklisting

Yellow Scissors

Ghost

RED

Jupiter

Dapple Pattern Prelude

Dapple Pattern II

Forest

Forest Reprise

Dapple Pattern I

Members

 

Chan Chin Ho - bass

Wing Chan - guitar, synthesizer, glockenspiel

Step Ip - drums, programs, glockenspiel, electronic percussion

James Woodbridge Hedges - guitar, sitar guitar, synthesizer, percussion, glockenspiel, electric piano.

Review

Dapple Patterns is the new album from Hong Kong based Instrumental Post-Rock collective Virgin Vacation with the band focusing on various levels of Experimental sounds that ventures through areas of Cosmic Rock, Psych Rock, KrautRock, Jazz. Surf and Ambient Rock. The sound is a tapestry of magical Post-Rock expressions which are quite flamboyant and wickedly over the top but never boring.

The whole album is wonderfully weird with Virgin Vacation clever use of Feedback loops, distorted guitars, electronic beats and the multitude of different instruments that the band used within the whole album. Virgin Vacation feel stuck in a never-ending time warp with their music inspired by multiple eras of music ranging all the way back from the 1950’s upto the present day. 

There is a certain “KITSCH” and free-flowing film soundtrack element which would make Quentin Taraninto blush with envy when the throwback Jazz/Pop/Rock energy of tracks such as Yellow Scissors, Ghost and Red allowing the band to have a deep meaningful creative energy which allows them to wholly original within the Post-Rock field.

There’s a lot to take in with this album as Virgin Vacation march to the mood of their own beat. However, there’s an epic distorted Cosmic Rock sound that leads the band to heavier areas of music which stay firmly in the background.

Other standout tracks include: Jupiter, Dapple Pattern II, Forest, and Dapple Pattern II which sees the band become more dramatic and focusing more on Ambient sounds with the dub-step grooves not feeling out of place from an Anime Series or Anime Movie.

Though, it’s the little sonic sounds, glitches and beats which impressed me the most. As Virgin Vacation explored into realms of Post-Rock that I didn’t think were possible or would go together. Surf, Dubstep and Jazz are not normally associated with Post-Rock but the band pull this off with magnificent style within the forty minute runtime of Dapple Patterns.

Dapple Patterns is full of cinematic wonder and a fearless creative direction which will leave you breathless. The musicians who make up Virgin Vacation are brilliantly talented and they prove this time and time again throughout the whole album. 

Though, the record won’t be for everyone. You may have to fully appreciate the Avant-Garde attitude of Virgin Vacation’s music. However, folks willing to take the journey with the band will be rewarded with a breathtaking Post-Rock album unlike you’ve ever heard before.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Virgin Vacation for the promo.

Dapple Patterns is available to buy now on CD/Cassette/Vinyl via White Noise Records and Digital Download from May 2nd 2024 via ONErpm

Links

Spotify | Instagram | Facebook | Youtube

HIGH NOON KAHUNA Shares "Sidewalk Assassin" Off THIS PLACE IS HAUNTED - Out May 17th on Crucial Blast Records

High Noon Kahuna is a power trio of veteran heavy musicians from Frederick, Maryland, with Tim Otis on guitar (Admiral Browning), Brian Goad on Drums (Internal Void / The Larrys / Nagato), and Paul Cogle on Bass VI and Vocals (Black Blizzard / Vox Populi / Nagato / Slagstorm). These three gents have known each other for years and have always supported each other in their respective bands.

At the start of 2022, they were given a fortunate opportunity to jam together, which they seized with all hands. And jam, they did! When like-minded musicians converge, something magical happens. By bringing years of influence and admiration for all musical genres, the band created an unusual style of their own.

High Noon Kahuna is back in 2024 to present their second album, This Place is Haunted. This collection of songs captures the raw vibe of their last album, Killing Spree, while expanding on the band's diverse corners of influence. Spanning the genre sphere across Surf, Western, Deathrock, Noiserock, Punk, and Psych, these songs show HNK at their most aggressive... as well as most ethereal, spacey, and gothic.

All the songs on the album came from unrestricted jamming over the last 20 months. In fact, the very first notes and beats the three members ever played together was an instantly exciting song that is captured on this album (Brand New Day). In that time, the band has toured and played many shows, continuing to hone their unhinged live performances. This Place is Haunted is an evolution of the unique HNK sound and sees them at new creative heights.

Before entering the studio, roughly 80% of the songs were solidified, and most were played out live; the other 20% were based on free-form jams in the HNK archive and re-created on-the-fly, pseudo improv style. The band partnered with Kevin Bernsten and Developing Nations for recording, as they did with Killing Spree. His studio provided a vibe that sparked their creativity and gave them freedom to work at another level. Working with Kevin on this album was a creatively liberating experience; his knowledge, gear, recording space, and ear allowed the band to get wild.

Final mastering for This Place Is Haunted was completed by the ever-inventive James Plotkin at Plotkin Works. The album's stirring cover art was created by HNK's own drummer, Brian Goad.

Today, High Noon Kahuna and Crucial Blast Records are excited to present “Sidewalk Assassin,” the first single from This Place is Haunted. A punk rock flurry with surfy vibes and a soft gooey center - Aggressive AF with a message of positivity! The album is set for release on May 17th, 2024, on CD, cassette, and digital (vinyl TBA).

Stream "Sidewalk Assassin" Now:

highnoonkahuna.bandcamp.com
https://youtu.be/rwzOtiUZ8VA
https://open.spotify.com/album/215MrqougTt7ydfPDmlyUl
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/high-noon-kahuna/

This Place Is Haunted - Tracklist:

01. Atomic Sunset
02. Lamborghini
03. Prehistoric Love Letter
04. Good Night God Bless
05. The Devil’s Lettuce
06. Brand New Day
07. Midnight Moon
08. Sidewalk Assassin
09. Mystical Shit
10. Tumbleweed Nightmare
11. Flaming Dagger
12. Et Ita Factum Est

"Crucial Blast is stoked to announce that we are joining forces with longtime friends HIGH NOON KAHUNA on the release of their second album, This Place Is Haunted. Harder, darker, but also brimming with haunting melody, the Maryland band features former members of Internal Void, Vox Populi and Admiral Browning, executing an incredibly infectious mix of classic noise rock and psychedelic crunch.

The twelve songs on Haunted are on a whole new level from the band; this rumbling riff-beast brilliantly evokes everything from pummeling Am Rep abrasion, soaring Hawkwindian space rock, haunting post-punk, Dick Dale-on-acid licks, doses of massive doom-laden crush, and even wisps of classic Morricone moodiness and some hammering QOTSA-esque groove.

Easily one of the most unique bands ever to emerge from the DC/MD area, KAHUNA is weirder, heavier, and catchier than ever before, and C-BLAST is incredibly excited to bring this banger to your ears."

https://www.crucialblast.net/
https://www.crucialblastshop.net/
highnoonkahuna.bandcamp.com

High Noon Kahuna:

Tim Otis: Guitar
Brian Goad: Drums
Paul Cogle: Bass / Vocals

Upcoming Live Dates:
Apr. 27 - Frederick, MD @ Olde Mother Brewing
May 23 - Asheville, NC @ The Odd
May 24 - Richmond, VA @ Another Round
May 25 - Staunton, VA @ The Brick
May 26 - Lexington, KY @ Green Lantern
May 28 - Washington, DC @ The Pie Shop
Jun. 23 - Frederick, MD @ MARYLAND DOOM FEST (Local Release Party)

Thanks to Mettle Media PR for all of the details. 

Mud Spencer - Fuzz Soup (Album Review)

Release Date: January 24th 2022. Record Label: Argonauta Records. Format: CD/DD

Fuzz Soup- Tracklisting

1.Razana 02:01

2.Back To Origin 05:03

3.Fuzz Soup 04:31

4.Quest For Fire 04:51

5.Ride The Mammoth 04:28

6.Argapura 02:44

7.The Shelter 03:51

8.Surfin The Dune 04:20

9.The Cheating Mole 04:43

10.Tumulus 04:41

11.Narcolepsy 04:35

Review

Fuzz Soup is the debut album from Indonesian Instrumental Stoner Rockers Mud Spencer. The album sees Mud Spencer playing a sixties and seventies based trippy psychedelic mix of Stoner Rock, Doom Rock and Fuzz Rock. Mud Spencer feels in complete control of their own crazy hard rocking world. The album has different styles of Stoner Rock/Metal that may take some time to fully get accustomed to. However, there’s something for everyone to enjoy if you’re a serious follower of Stoner Rock/Metal.

The album is quite jagged with its production values. The production is superb but it can be quite jarring when Mud Spencer brings in different flavours of Psych Stoner Rock that even moves into Jazz and Middle Eastern musical territories. The sixties hard rock attitude is very easy to spot especially on the two opening tracks of Razana and  Back To Origin.

Back To Origin even has elements of Surf Rock before moving back to a kick-ass modern Karma To Burn-esque guitar riff-fest. The instrumental work is proggressive in many ways and you don’t instantly feel or hear that at first. As the music sticks within the standard rules of Stoner Rock/Metal but Mud Spencer uses tricks of the Prog Rock trade to get their music across more substantially. 

There are a lot of Psychedelic Freakouts throughout the album that scream “SIXTIES PSYCHEDELIA” before burying itself underneath an avalanche of dirty and scuzzy FUZZ ROCK jams. Check out songs such as: Fuzz Soup, Quest For Fire and Surfin The Dune for prime examples of this. 

The album maybe a little too long and experimental in places but there’s a lot of great soulful sounds and grooves to fully appreciate. The album does move at a breakneck speed. The second half of the record contains perhaps the heaviest and darkest sounds on the record but still allowing the listener to fully enjoy and immerse themselves with Mud Spencer’s “weirdo” brand of Psychedelic Stoner Rock.

The album oozes CREATIVE CONFIDENCE and perhaps HIPSTER COOL that is fine by me. It’s good to listen to a daring and bold Stoner Rock/Metal album and that’s what Mud Spencer have delivered with this spellbinding album. An almighty trippy riff-fest from start to finish.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to All Noir PR for the promo.

Fuzz Soup is available to buy digitally now and CD from Argonauta Records.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp

Milquetoast - Caterwaul (Album Review)

Release Date: January 28h 2022. Record Label: Wise Blood Records. Format: CD/Cassette/DD

Caterwaul - Tracklisting

1.Intro 00:33

2.Dead Inside 02:35

3.Recognize 04:30

4.Matapacos 02:42

5.Stoner Safari 04:50

6.Step Off 03:34

7.Space Force 04:25

8.Fake News Blues 03:18

9.Wall 03:25

10.Forgotten Death 04:46

Members

Ty - guitar and vocals

Andy - bass, vocals, and synth

Nick - drums

Review

Sludge/Stoner Punk Rockers Milquetoast should be suffering from an identity crisis on their debut album Caterwaul. As they play a mixture of Punk Rock, Sludge Metal, Stoner Metal, Doom Metal and elements of early Proto-Heavy Rock. However, Milquetoast impressed me early on with their fast-paced style of gloomy and grimy based grooves that wallowed in the Punk Rock movement before bringing the heavy presence of Sludge Metal and Stoner Metal to the party.

The album is fast-paced with an addictive “KNOW IT ALL” and “ALWAYS RiGHT” attitude which can be heard through the spiky vocal performances and harsh lyrics. An album of this quality caught the attention of CONAN’s very own Chris FIelding who mastered this album. This album is the furthest album I would expect Chris to be involved with but he does a great job here.

Imagine a mixture of Black Flag, Fu Manchu, The Shrine and The Melvins joining forces for one insane recording session and this is what to expect here. It’s loud, noisy, messy and this record still ends up being a gloomy and grimy riff-fest with some epic guitar solos along the way. Distorted Amplifier Sounds can be heard from start to finish even if they’re forced along by Punk Rock themes.

The songs are a mixture of different styles and lengths that all end up having their own identity. Everything is violently abrasive but also delightfully hip and having a great sense of humour for an almost PARTY based ATMOSPHERE.

Standout songs include: Dead Inside, Recognize, Stoner Safari, Space Force, Wall and Forgotten Death. 

Caterwaul are a breath of fresh air for the world of Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal. As they guys play around with genre rules and conventions whilst having something to say even if it’s done with a bleak and sly sense of humour. 

All in all, Caterwaul is an action-packed and Punk-tastic release to please almost everyone within the Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal community. 

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Wise Blood Records for the promo.

Caterwaul is available to buy now on CD/DD/Cassette from Wise Blood Records.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp