Blind Tendril - α (Album Review)

Release Date: November 05th 2021. Record Label: Self Released. Format: DD/CD/Vinyl

α  - Tracklisting

1.Dead Tree 06:15

2.Idiotsyncracy 05:16

3.Genetic Freaks 04:59

4.Down Below 09:00

5.Νόστος (Nóstos) 06:03

6.Hollow Icon 04:01

7.Hanging By A Thread (feat. Björn Strid) 05:52

8.Brace 06:01

9.Σώμα (Sóma) 07:13

10.Death-Washed 08:33

11.The Machine 08:43

Members

Dimitris : Vocals/Guitar

Jonny : Guitar

Rob : Bass

Cameron : Drums

Review

“α” is the debut album from Greek but UK based Progressive Stoner Metaller Blind Tendril and is sometimes a challenging and OTT  album where the band share a wide range of musical influences ranging from the Hard Rock, Grunge, Psych and Stoner Metal variety.

Blind Tendril are extremely talented but the album is a tad overlong by a good ten minutes. However, the technical ability is super impressive with some songs going the extra mile in providing wonderfully solid creative musical passages with Psychedelic creative flair to match. The first half of the album is definitely the strongest part of the album with Blind Tendril bringing Greek and Middle Eastern influences to the backdrop of Psychedelic Stoner Metal with flashes of Prog Rock/Metal giving it a more real life sound.

Songs such as: Dead Tree, Idiosyncrasy, Genetic Freaks and Down Below remind me of Italian Sludge/Stoner Metallers Void Of Sleep and their celebrated debut album Tales Between Reality And Madness. There’s a lot of cool similarities between these two great bands with Blind Tendril being slightly out there with their creative themes and psychedelic sounds.

The vocals are another one of the album's strengths with the music allowing them to breathe naturally.  There are a lot of trippy noises and psychedelic moments on this album that really come into play on the second half of the album with a “SPICY” Alt Rock flavour making this a much better listening experience.

The music is always constantly engaging with a highly energetic blend and different styles of Progressive Stoner Rock/Metal. 

There are wonderful surprises on this album from Blind Tendril with Hanging By A Thread featuring Björn Strid aka Speed who is the lead vocalist from Swedish Melodic Death Metal Legends SOILWORK amongst many others. 

As I stated earlier in this review, it’s a tad too long at almost 70 minutes in length but at least you’re getting your money's worth with this release. Blind Tendril is still onto a winner with this album and will no doubt impress and entertain the Stoner Rock/Metal Community with it’s vivid storytelling and wonderfully eerie Progressive themes.

All in all, Blind Tendril have released a well produced and superbly entertaining record that has got a lot of great things to say whilst bombarding you with top level Stoner Rock/Metal grooves.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Blind Tendril and Kassandra for promo.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp

Twin Wizard Announce 2022 New Tour, Re-Release Of Glacial Gods and New Video For Smoke Wizard

We are proud to present our music video for Smoke Wizard. This video will be part of our re-release of "Glacial Gods" which will include Matt Larson on vocals for all tracks. We plan to have this record available for Vinyl in the Spring of 2022. We are working to have it available digitally and on CD in early 2022.

We are also extremely excited to announce tour dates with our friends in Ape Vermin as part of our "Glacial Noise" tour. We can't wait to be on the road again bangin our heads with y'all.

 

1/28 Iowa City, IA @ Gabe’s

1/29 Des Moines, IA @ Lefty’s

2/1 Evansville, IN @ Lamasco Bar & Grill

2/2 Louisville, KY @ Mag Bar 

2/3 Clarksville, TN @ The Warehouse

2/4 Asheville, NC @ Fleetwoods

2/5 Athens, GA @ Flicker 

2/6 Atlanta, GA @ Sabbath Brewing

2/8 Mobile, AL @ Alabama Music Box 

2/9 New Orleans, LA @ Santos 

2/10 Houston, TX @ Acadia Bar & Grill

2/11 Austin, TX @ Independence Brewing Co

2/12 Denton, TX @ Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studio 

2/13 Wichita Falls, TX @ Iron Horse Pub

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp | BigCartel

Introduce Yourselves: Kuan

What is the name of your band?

Kuan. It’s an Hexagram from I CHING wich means contemplation.

What is the genre of music that you play?

We are a drone/doom/psych/experimental guitar duo

Can you give a brief history of the band of how it came together and where it is today?

The band started in February 2021. We enter in the rehearsal room to crank our valve amps at full volume and experiment with different sounds from our pedalboards.

What can people expect from your music?

Long instrumental drone/psychedelic tracks, almost like soundtracks for sci fi movies.

What is the best release that folks should check out from your band?

We think a great way to know us is through our last album Death of a Sun. It’s a two pieces concept album about the death of a star.

Where can people find you on Social Media?

https://www.facebook.com/kuanband2021
https://www.instagram.com/kuanband/

https://open.spotify.com/artist/12sd1oVguTFPpxNVoHjF7g
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCatwkT7YRld8FCoj7kMVXJw

https://kuan.bandcamp.com/

Spaceslug - Memorial (Album Review)

Release Date: December 10th 2021. Record Label: BSFD Records. Format: DD/CD/Vinyl

Memorial  - Tracklisting

1.Into The Soil 00:52

2.Follow This Land 05:10

3.Spring Of The Abyss 09:23

4.In The Hiatus Fall 07:13

5.Memorial 05:05

6.Lost Undone 06:10

7.Of Trees And Fire 08:24

8.At The Edge Of Melting Point 03:51

Members

Bartosz Janik - guitars, synths, vocals

Jan Rutka - bass, vocals

Kamil Ziółkowski - drums, vocals

Review

Memorial is the fourth album from Progressive Doom/Space/Stoner Metallers Spaceslug and sees the band joining the bleak mystical sounds of their last few releases with their earlier albums Psychedelic Space Rock outlook. The album is a major return to form after the bleakness of 2018’s Eye The Tide. An album that I love now but struggled initially at first. However, no such issues with Memorial. As Spaceslug are bang on point doing what they do best.

Perhaps considered the “Mastodon” of the famed Polish Doom/Stoner Metal Scene well I least consider them as this. Memorial definitely has a certain “Crack The Skye” flavour with the intricate progressive melodies held on the album. There is a real soulful identity to this album and it also contains that “magical” Space Rock rhythms that Spaceslug are known for.

The album equally balances the uplifting grooves and the darker progressive Sludgy and Gloomy based Psychedelic Doom riffs which you get a proper taste of in the excellent few songs of: Into The Soil, Follow This Land and Spring Of The Abyss. The vocals are stunning and you can feel real emotional depth to the vocals and lyrics contained on this album. 

The Psychedelic Cosmic vibes of the album may be considered the true “engine” of this album but the vocals are the true “heart and soul” of this release. Spaceslug moves effortlessly from different styles of modern sounding Psych Doom/Stoner Metal with each song. The album has a real Ambient and Post-Rock flow which you can hear on Spring Of The Abyss, In The Hiatus Fall and Memorial.

The later stages of the album may contain the heaviest and gloomiest moments on the record but end this album on a real high. Exquisite vocal melodies rule supreme throughout the entire record and when the harsher growls do appear they’re equally moving as the clean ones.

Memorial is backed up by first rate production values which isn’t surprising since all of Spaceslug’s releases sound excellent. 

Spaceslug are the best band from the Polish Doom/Stoner Metal scene and Memorial proves that fact time and time again. This is my favourite album from Spaceslug and without doubt is one of the best Doom/Stoner Metal releases of the year. 

WOW. End Of.

Words by Steve Howe

Memorial is available to buy now on DD. CD in early Jan 2022 and Vinyl in Summer 2022.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp

Introduce Yourselves: KOLLAPS\E

What is the name of your band?

KOLLAPS\E - Helsingborg - Sweden

What is the genre of music that you play?

Post-Metal, Sludge-Metal, Post-Hardcore

Can you give a brief history of the band of how it came together and where it is today?

We started out 2018 as a 3-piece. Just trying to write some tunes and have some fun without being to serious. In 2019 we found a bas player and we became a complete band.

In 2021 we released The Pandemic Sessions, a 2 song Single. As of right now we are working on new material and are hopefully going to record sometime early next year.

What can people expect from your music?

Heavy, distorted, calm and chaos.

What is the best release that folks should check out from your band?

The Pandemic Sessions

Where can people find you on Social Media?

https://instagram.com/kollapse_music
http://kollapsemusic.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/kollapsemusik/
https://open.spotify.com/album/5IRalT8yLe7epUQIsMj1fT?si=_JAi0TG-SgiyiOHZh7W6uw
https://youtu.be/WnmSm1B_eZ4

Introduce Yourselves: SUPERMOON

What is the name of your band?

Supermoon

What is the genre of music that you play?

A mix of Psychedelic, Doom / Stoner Rock with Folk elements. We like to call it Forest Rock.

Can you give a brief history of the band of how it came together and where it is today?

Supermoon started as a one-man project in 2019 in Athens and released an album as such in 2020. Our -power trio- band was formed in spring 2021, during the pandemic lockdowns and have already played some gigs in Athens, supported Naxatras and played in Mammoth Festival in Kavala, Greece. We are currently working on new material and planning live shows for 2022.

What can people expect from your music?

A heavy blend of styles that stands in the brink of darkness, bathed in light.

What is the best release that folks should check out from your band?

Our debut and only release “Supermoon”, available on vinyl LP by Made Of Stone Recordings, cassette by Southcave Records, CD and digitally.

Where can people find you on Social Media?

https://supermoongr.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/supermoongr
https://www.instagram.com/supermoongr/

Spanish sludge rockers Rosy Finch unleash anxious video for Vermilion

Spanish sludge rockers Rosy Finch unleash anxious video for Vermilion

(Photographer - Marcos Bañó)

Rosy Finch is a trio born in Spain in 2013 and founded by guitarist/vocalist Mireia Porto. They mix a powerful blend of 90’s grunge & alternative rock with metal & sludge influences.

During live performances they create a supersonic wall of sound through feedback and elements of noise, matched with unearthly screams and atmospheric chants. At times delirious, others full of rage, the band combines both insidious and heavy riffs to perfection.

Óscar Soler (Domo & Pyramidal) and Juanjo Ufarte (Grajo & The Dry Mouths) joined the band in 2019 on bass and drums. The new formation evolved into a more visceral and aggressive sound where Mireia Porto seems to be in her element and succeeds in furiously transmitting her darkest emotions.

Today sees the release of the video for their track Vermilion, taken from their well-received 2020 album Scarlet which came out via Dutch label Lay Bare Recordings.

"It was a very intense experience shooting this video. We were in the middle of the Covid lockdown, spending days locked up at home and we thought it would be a good idea to start a homemade video based on the film “Tesis” by Amenábar. As horror lovers, we tried to re-create desperation, loneliness, torture, anxiety… The fear of a girl who wants to escape from a “snuff movie”. Also, the song “Vermilion” describes a toxic relationship where a friend becomes a stalker (you can detect this feeling when I sing “Hold your breath… your ghost around me” or “trust no one else…”) Negative people sometimes enjoy breathing down your neck and making you believe you’re crazy. For this reason, you have to escape somehow.” – Mireia Porto

Scarlet is available now on:

http://www.rosyfinchband.com/
http://www.rosyfinch.bandcamp.com/