SEDULUS - Album Pre-Order Details and Exclusive Song Premiere

Band Members:

Will Wichanski- Bass & Vocals

Rich Williams- Guitar
Amit Patel- Guitar & BV's
Mithun Shah- Drums

The Lowdown:

Sedulus bring with their own brand of dynamic, heavy grooves blended with ambient and psychedelic interludes from London, UK.

With three self released EPs behind them, the band are currently in the process of writing for their debut full length album. The album will continue pushing the unique sound

Live shows remain the band’s most important aspect. Sedulus continue to tour and have an ever increasing portfolio of shows, including those at prestigious London venues, The Underworld, LA2 (Mean Fiddler) and the Camden Barfly.

Having supported such acts as Brant Bjork, Nebula, Karma to Burn, Ufomammut and Intronaut, and appearing at the inaugural London Desertfest in 2012, Sedulus demonstrate an ability to punch their weight among the best and appeal to fans of varying genres.

Now the band are really excited to announce the release of "The Sleepers Awaken" - their debut album on APRIL 22nd by When Planets Collide Presents. CD, Vinyl and shirt bundle Pre-Orders are available now via the links below.

CD ONLYVINYL ONLY
SHIRT AND VINYL BUNDLES
SHIRT AND CD BUNDLES

Before then, the cool folks over at When Planets Collide and Sedulus have allowed ourselves to premiere a new song - SYCAMORE - from the upcoming album. 

Links:

Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Twitter

Cult of Luna & Julie Christmas – Mariner (Album Review)

Release date: April 8th 2016. Label: Indie Recordings. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Mariner – Tracklisting

1. A Greater Call 08:19

2. Chevron 08:54

3. The Wreck of S.S. Needle 09:34

4. Approaching Transition 12:59

5. Cygnus 14:50

Line Up:

Julie Christmas - Vocals

Cult of Luna

Magnus Líndberg - Drums

Johannes Persson - Guitars, Vocals

Andreas Johansson - Bass

Thomas Hedlund - Drums, Percussion

Fredrik Kihlberg - Guitars, Vocals

Kristian Karlsson - Keyboards, Vocals

Review:

When it was announced that Cult Of Luna would be making an album with Julie Christmas, it was met with fevered anticipation amongst fans of both artists and despite the fact that sometimes when a project is that hyped up due to the artists involved or what an artist has done in the past, then it can at times be a bit of a letdown, the music not living up to the initial hype but this is in no way the case with Mariner and has to rank as the best work that both Cult Of Luna and Julie Christmas have been involved with.

This is music that can only be described as thoroughly immersive and the mixture of Christmas' at times beautiful and at others abrasive vocals with the massive and inspiring soundscapes of Cult Of Luna is a match made in musical heaven and throughout the albums five vast tracks this is proved beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Cult Of Luna prove again on Mariner that they are one of the finest bands on the planet and their musical ability is unquestionable while Julie Christmas is as you would expect extremely impressive on this album and proves what an outstanding singer she is and the impeccable range of her voice is in full force here and having been a fan of hers since her work with Battle Of Mice and subsequently checked out all her other work, each time I hear an album of hers, I am always in awe of her singing and her performance on Mariner has to be the best thing she has ever done such is the delivery of her passionate vocals and the matching of her vocals with Cult Of Luna vocalist Joahannes Persson is pretty much perfect, these vocal encounters on tracks such as A Greater Call and album closer Cygnus are as good as it gets. The fervour and feeling as Cygnus drives forward is truly a joy to listen to and is as passionate as music gets with both vocalists putting every inch of their heart and soul into it.

The whole album will have you listening in awe, particularly songs like Approaching Transition and The Wreck Of S.S Needle which are as epic in their outlook as they are in their execution and demonstrate the scope of this magnificent project excellently.

Mariner is not an album that you can just dip in and out with, you need to take the time to properly immerse yourself in it and you will find that the music will consume you from the first listen onwards.

It is an album that is cathartic as well as achingly beautiful. Truly heavy as well as melodic and melancholic. Music this special doesn't come along all that often so this is an album that needs to be fully embraced and come the end of the year, something even more special will have to come along to top this in order to rate as the album of 2016, it's that good. An epic masterpiece.

Words by Gavin Brown

Thanks to Andy at Palmer Turner Overdrive PR for the promo. Mariner will be available to buy on CD/DD from 1^st April 2016 via Indie Recordings.

Links:

Julie Christmas: Facebook | BandCamp | Twitter

Cult Of Luna: Official | Facebook | Twitter

Band To Check Out - Sarama

Release date: March 1^st 2016. Label: Self Released. Format: DD

Sarama – S/T – Tracklisting

1.Breathe 08:41

2.The Tower 06:26

Band Members

Angela Shatswell – Guitar

Robert Pennington – Guitar/Vocals

Phil Merwin – Drums

Damian Harris – Bass/Additional Vocals (Breathe)

Review:

From the depths of Oregon’s murkiest swamp crawls the mighty Sarama, offering their intoxicating self-titled release bubbling with sinister harmony and muddy, fuzzed-out goodness!

The aptly named ‘Breathe’ respires menacingly as we are plunged into the vast, dark husk of an inanimate behemoth. We descend rapidly into the seemingly bottomless chasm of this intense song as a foul draft reveals that our host is stirring. Fans of Isis and Neurosis will savour the simmering, provocative build of unstrained guitars and stodgy percussion as they swell to a climax of sonorous, humid grooves. Tasteful, understated lead worms its way through the wreathing mass of sound whilst direful bass groans delectably in the depths, beckoning us to cut our tethers and free-fall deep into the phantasmagorical world that Sarama have created.

Part two, ‘The Tower’ utilises an array of emotive sonic textures to produce a landscape awash with volcanic activity and a noxious atmosphere. Subtle, percussive guitars ricochet around a barren vale before a monsoon of tearing riffs carry a piercing, primal war cry to terraform to the land and resurrect its monstrous inhabitants with a vibrant concoction of concentrated doom. Frenzied lead work conducts the reanimating life forms in an ayahuasca induced shamanic dance amidst the tsunami as the ground cracks and mountains crumble.

Fans of Conan, Cough and YOB will find plenty to enjoy in this small but wholesome offering. The two songs on offer here are a self-contained microverse of abstract chaos and beauty. It is an epic adventure condensed into 15 minutes of suspense and brimming energy, demonstrated with the expressive poise of a high-wire tightrope walker. I was a little surprised that the diverse dynamic scope of the record didn’t bleed into its accompanying artwork, but that scarcely takes away from the quality of such a visceral piece of music.

I will be keeping a keen eye on Sarama and look forward to future releases. I would be psyched to see what they put together on a full length release!

Words by ThisHairyGuy

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp

Band To Check Out: HOVEN

Band Members:

Cal, Paul, Dan

The Lowdown:

Hoven's debut release; 'Mule' available now. Five filthy slabs of raging stoner rock riffs, prog-metal twists and vocals which have been known to cause minor earthquakes.

Released via their Bandcamp page hoven.bandcamp.com plus iTunes, Spotify and all digital providers everywhere from March 29th. 'Mule' is already gaining an overwhelming reaction from listeners, climbing high in Bandcamp's best selling metal categories in its first week.

Hoven from County Durham, UK are borne out of a fierce determination to break the mould and a common ground between the core duo of Cal and Paul; "The one thing we agreed about right from the beginning is groove." they say, "No matter what weird drum ideas or trippy vocals are thrown in you should be able to rock your balls off to it and have fun!" The resulting sounds are filthier than going commando in a hired tuxedo to a hot summer wedding!!!

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp

She Hunts Koalas - Terra Dementia (Album Review)

Release date: April 8th 2016. Label: Argonauta Records. Format: CD/DD

Terra Dementia – Tracklisting

1. Ashes

2. Plague

3. Down

4. Shadow on You

5. Satellites

6. Amoenus

Band Members

Alex Gavalda (guitar)

Julien Aoufi (drums)

François Cayla (Bass-vocal)

Dan Letellier (machine-vocal)

Review:

She Hunts Koalas debut album – Terra Dementia – sees the band Newly signed to Argonauta Records, the band play an intriguing style of Doom Metal, Sludge and almost psychedelic ritual ambient style riffs. It’s a highly complex and intelligent album that will take a few listens to fully appreciate. The album has six tracks that have each contain a haunting quality to them.

Opening track – Ashes – starts off rather quietly before the band start adding levels of distorted psychedelic sludge/doom metal riffs. Shades of Conan and Ufomammut do appear from time to time but the band creates their own haunting sound.

Second track – Plague – carries on the bleak doom and gloom atmospherics form Ashes but the band adds a heavier sludge sound to the mix. It allows the band to create some heavy riffs to drown the volume with. The added synths add a claustrophobic feel to this song. The vocals are for the most part, superb, though they can be quite repetitive at times especially near the end of the song. It shouldn’t distract you from the overall enjoyment of the album.

Third track – Down – opens with a slow-paced and heavy pounding bass guitar before the usual style of doom guitars come to change the tone of the song. The production is not as sharp on this song compared to the opening two tracks, though the vocals add quite a depressing and hollow feel. The riffs can be very down-tempo at times. I still consider this song as one of the best songs on the album.

Fourth track – Shadow On You – feels like it was influenced by YOB in places as the vocals and atmosphere have a certain YOB style quality to them. She Hunts Koalas do create a more ambient post-rock feel with heavy sludge rock distorted riffs being the main factor. Psychedelic noises appear towards the end as the band drift to a more ambient post-rock driven sound.

The final two songs – Satellites and Amoenus – offer almost twenty minutes of heavy sonic musical experimentation that both rank as the albums finest songs. It’s on these two tracks that She Hunts Koalas finally offer their own sound. If you’re a fan of heavy doom and gloom slow-paced riffs then you will enjoy this part of the album the most. The vocals have an almost eerie feel to them but it’s the music that impresses the most. Progressive and highly complex in places.

Terra Dementia does have a few rough moments but it’s the overall journey that the band takes you on make this an outstanding debut album. 

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Barbara at NeeCee Agency for the promo. Terra Dementia will be available to buy on CD/DD via Argonauta Records from April 8^th 2016.

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp

Sunnata - Zorya (Album Review)

Release date: April 11th 2016. Label: Self Released. Format: CD/DD

Zorya – Tracklisting

1.Beasts of prey

2.Zorya

3.Long gone

4.New horizon

5.Again and against

Band Members

Szy – Vocals

Gad – Guitars

Dob – Bass

Rob – Drums

Review:

Sunnata return with their new album Zorya. Almost two years after their debut album that received some minor acclaim within the Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal community. Has anything changed since their debut album? Yeah, I think they’re sound has changed quite a bit as Sunnata have opted for a more progressive doom/stoner metal sound with subtle sludge vibes adding a more menacing approach.

Opening track – Beasts Of Prey – sees Sunnata opting for a heavy doom approach to their music that fans of Monolord will enjoy. The band then adds a more psychedelic desert rock vibe near the middle of the song but drowned out by heavier sludge based sounds. It’s an intriguing concept and the vocals add a superb progressive feel. A word of warning, this song runs for twelve minutes or so and the rest of the songs run about the same amount of time. So don’t go expecting short style songs as Sunnata create epic and highly intelligent soundscapes to lose yourself in.

Second track – Zorya – is more of a grunge driven number that owes a huge debt to Alice In Chains in both terms of structure of the song and with the vocals. Sunnata add a more sombre doomy atmosphere to keep the riffs somewhat fresh. Zorya perhaps gives you best impression of what Sunnata are really about, musically and lyrically as they create the albums standout track.

Third track – Long Gone – starts very slowly before Sunnata add different layers of noise. Firstly with the guitars and then the drums appear with Sunnata then creating the most direct sounding Sludge/Stoner Metal song on the album. I can detect a slight industrial rock/metal sound that allows Sunnata to fully experiment with their sound. The hazy psychedelic vocals add a doom and gloom feel to the album.

Fourth track – Long Horizon – sees Sunnata finally becoming a lot more at ease with their industrial rock/metal sounds. Though that doesn’t stop the band play some of the heaviest doom/sludge metal riffs on the album. It’s a very slow paced affair and that’s a good thing as this creates a very bleak mood for the band to further enhance their sound. This is perhaps the most progressive song on the album and one listeners will probably enjoy the most.

Last but by no means least is – Again And Against. Another ten minute epic that has more a chaotic almost nightmarish feel compared to the other songs on the album. Shades of Godflesh and NIN industrial sounds appear and it ends the album on quite a depressing note and I applaud the band for making that decision. They could have ended the album with a more upbeat song but that would undo all the hard work the band have put in creating this excellent album.

Sunnata have created something very different from their debut album and that should be applauded. They could of played it safe and released – Climbing The Colossus Part Two, but nope. Sunnata have released something far more brave and it’s a better album as a result. Zorya is a stunning and complex sounding album.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Claire at Purple Sage PR for the promo. Zorya will be available to buy on CD/DD from April 11th 2016.

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp

Black Rainbows - Stellar Prophecy

Release date: April 15th 2016. Label: Heavy Psych Sounds. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Stellar Prophecy – Tracklisting

Electrify

Woman

Golden Widow

Evil Snake

It's Time to Die

Keep the Secret

The Travel

Band Members

Giuseppe Guglielmino - Bass

Alberto Croce - Drums

Gabriele Fiori - Vocals, Guitars, Keyboards

Review:

Twelve months after their last album Hawkdope was released, Black Rainbows have returned with their fifth album – Stellar Prophecy. Black Rainbows has a new bassist within their ranks. Stellar Prophecy has a more FUZZ driven sound compared to previous albums. You still get the same heavy as hell Stoner/Psych sound but the band has a more distinctive fuzzier sound.

Opening track – Electrify – opens with a fuzzed out heavy riff before the vocals appear. It seems like business as usual for Black Rainbows but the mood turns more psychedelic than ever before. The band is laying the groundwork for the whole tone of the album. It has a slightly different feel to Hawkdope and I feel that’s down to the addition of the new bassist. The sound is heavier and more fuzz based. The lyrics are simply written but who cares when the music is as good as this. Spaced out noises appear out of nowhere as Black Rainbows change into one of the most majestic power trio’s currently out there.

Second track – Woman – is Black Rainbows embracing 70s based Psych/Stoner Rock vibes like never before. Spurred on by a slow-paced psych rock riff and lead vocalist Gabriele revelling in his role that sees him deliver his best vocal performance on the album. Throw in some groovy organ sounds and you have one of the standout tracks on the album. The song becomes heavier and slightly faster as time moves on. It shows Black Rainbows are bursting with new and wild exciting ideas to entertain you with.

Third track – Golden Widow – sees the band opt for a more space rock sound with traces of psychedelic stoned out trance based vibes running through out its epic eleven minute run time. It’s perhaps the song that allows the band to experiment more with their music as it can be very progressive at times. The instrumental work is flawless on this song as Gabriele’s vocals drift in and out at different times. Black Rainbows deserve credit for mixing the different styles of sounds they have at their disposal. Stoner, Psych, Space Rock and Doom all held together by some intense jam-based freak out riffs.

The following three tracks (Evil Snake, It’s Time To Die and Keep The Secret) follows the same direct psych/stoner rock sound on the opening two tracks but Black Rainbows still experiment with their sound by adding different noises to the mix. I would say Keep The Secret is perhaps the most exciting song from that group of songs.

The final song – The Travel – is another epic song lasting almost ten minutes and it ends the album in the most glorious spaced out way possible. Expect huge spaced out riffs as the band slowly builds the atmosphere with slow-paced riffs and trippy vocals. Black Rainbows excel in creating loud and vibrant noises merged with intriguing soundclips.

Stellar Prophecy is another superb album to add to your Black Rainbows collection. The band has changed their sound in so many different ways on this album as they have a more epic feel to their music. Everything about this album oozes class. What more do you expect from one of Italy’s finest Psych/Stoner Metal bands. Stellar Prophecy could be the bands most defining album to date.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Claire at Purple Sage PR for the promo. Stellar Prophecy will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Heavy Psych Sounds from April 15^th 2016.

Links:

Official | Facebook