Butcher In The Fog - Exonerate Me, Baby (Album Review)

 

Release Date: July 02nd 2021. Record Label: Self Released. Format: DD/Vinyl

Exonerate Me, Baby - Tracklisting

1.3rd Strike (Fool's Errand) 03:21

2.Russian Bride 03:39

3.Swamp of Delusion 03:06

4.Man Adrift 07:25

5.Exonerate Me, Baby 04:01

6.Plastic Tag 02:45

7.Auditory Hallucinations / Quicksand 05:32

8.Portrait of a Nightmare 03:32

Members

Alex de la Cour - Drums

Allan Skjönsberg - Bass

Yanni Georgiou - Vocals/Guitar

Review

Exonerate Me, Baby is the new album from UK Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal/Punk Upstarts - Butcher In The Fog. This is the guys 3rd release since their inception in 2011 and their first new material in over 4 years. The band live in their own violent and noisy FUCKED UP WORLD and Exonerate Me, Baby still allows casual listeners and their established fanbase to come in and enjoy the glorious THRASH based grooves going on. 

Add a dash of fast=paced Noise Rock and Butcher In The Fog excel playing their manic Punk fused grooves across 8 superbly written songs. If you enjoy the heaviness of High On Fire and early Mastodon but having a riff-tastic threesome with KVELERTAK then there’s much to enjoy here. 

The album never plays it’s safe as Butcher In The Fog have an aggressive rebellious streak within all their songs and the band are quite good at changing the mood and direction of the album with relevant ease and still leave you excited to hear more. Most of the songs such as: 3rd Strike (Fool’s Errand), Russian Bride and Swamp Of Delusion feel and sound like your standard Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal Fare but it’s not until you delve further into their noisy backdrop of heavy guitars that you are treated to fantastic moments of Prog Metal with Psychedelic sounds and even some killer Motorhead inspired manic energy. 

The longer tracks (Man Adrift and Auditory Hallucinations / Quicksand) are perhaps the best parts of the album for myself. As the band have more time on their side and they play a more adventurous style of music. Maybe not as aggressive as the other songs on the album but this is where Butcher In The Fog impressed myself the most whilst still bringing a Punk/Thrash Metal attitude to the mix.

Wayne Adams at Bear Bites Horse Studio is on Recording, Mixed and Mastering Duties once again which he handled for their last album and he does a stellar job bringing Butcher in The Fog thrilling and bombastic style of aggressive fuelled grooves to the masses.

Exonerate Me, Baby is wonderfully eccentric and free-flowing with many fantastic Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal riffs that you would be a DAMN FOOL if you don’t listen to this album and give these guys a chance. Another killer release from Butcher In The Fog. 

 

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Butcher In The Fog for the promo. Exonerate Me, Baby Is available to buy now on DD/Vinyl.

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp

Lunar Swamp - Moonshine Blues (Album Review)

 

Release Date: July 02nd 2021. Record Label: Various. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Moonshine Blues - Tracklisting

1.Muddy Waters 05:51

2.MoonBurst Smoke 04:47

3.The Redneck Squatch 05:55

4.Old Ben the Gator 05:28

5.Cross Swamp Blues 05:31

6.Sweet Sue (Witch Cover) 08:04

Review

Moonshine Blues is the debut album from Italian Blues/Stoner/Swamp Rockers Lunar Swamp and the band have already impressed the Stoner Rock Community with their previous releases. This time they go even further on this album with the the band focusing on a “WO-FAT” style sound with the massive Swamp based grooves but the guys then take a left turn by adding a more dramatic vocal style with a 70s seedy Classic Doom Sound being in the background. The Stoner Rock/Metal atmosphere is vaguely distorted which Lunar Swamp shows throughout the stunning opening track - Muddy Waters.

The album runs for a compact 35 minute running time and is the right length for Lunar Swamp to flex their creative muscles along what Doom/Stoner Metal spectrum with the band still adding an almost “Occult Rock” flavour on the later stages of the album. 

Lunar Swamp have a lot of fun on this record and the Blues Rock part of their music is the “glue” that holds everything together and they do bring a more aggressive and heavier style of music to songs such as MoonBurst Smoke, The Redneck Squatch and Cross Swamp Blues. 

Some of the songs can be quite similar to each other but Lunar Swamp have more than enough tricks up their sleeves to let this become a problem and it’s the fantastic music that saves the day. WIth the record having an excellent mix of classic, vintage and modern day grooves. The final track is a stunning rendition of WITCH classic - Sweet Sue with Lunar Swamp not veering far from the original but it works and leaves the album on an exciting DOOM METAL based finish.

Lunar Swamp debut album is a seedy and entertaining ride into the more swampier side of Doom/Stoner Metal and it’s one we don’t really hear much these days and lets hope Lunar Swamp will be around for a long time to come and release high quality records such as this.

 

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Lunar Swamp for the promo. Moonshine Blues Is available from the links below:

CD out for The Swamp Records (USA)
VINYL out for Clostridium Records (Germany)
TAPE out for Burning Coffin Recs (Chile)

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp

MURDOCK Releases new track “Vingança das Bruxas” and prepares the release of new EP

MURDOCK: heavy rock Brazilian quartet releases new track “Vingança das Bruxas” and prepares the release of new EP for August

Today the Brazilian band Murdock released their new single, the solid track "Vingança das Bruxas". Originally from Tijucas/SC the quartet mixes elements of Seventies Hard Rock, Stoner and Blues to produce their sound, and the new track efficiently captures the essence of their musicality with precise and dense riffs and great production.

About the song, declares the band:

“Vingança das Bruxas” is the last track of our upcoming EP “Entre Tigres e Lobos” which will be released in August. The song brings all the weight and dark theme we've been looking for since the beginning of the band with long, melodic riffs inspired by the first albums of the bands Electric Wizard and Mephistopheles. The band sought to bring the roots from the beginning of the project, both in the composition and in the riffs and melodies, and tell a horror story with an epic ending where the Revenge of the Witches happens. This until then is the last song composed by the band, made to finish the EP. We are already thinking about the future of the band and starting new compositions with another kind of tuning for future projects”

Listen “Vingança das Bruxas”:

MURDOCK is:

Guilherme Sezoski – guitar and vox
Rafael Rau – guitar
Pholl Gregório – bass
Guilherme Franco – drums

MEDIAS:

INSTAGRAM
BANDCAMP
SPOTIFY
FACEBOOK

Achachak - High Mountain (Album Review)

 

Release Date: June 26th 2021. Record Label: Dostava Zvuka Records. Format: DD/Vinyl

HIgh Mountain - Tracklisting

1.High Mountain 06:46

2.Lonewolf 04:23

3.Captain Morning 04:35

4.Maui Waui 04:36

5.Bong Goddess 03:46

6.Mr. SM 06:40

7.Creator 03:30

8.Lesson 03:56

9.Biggest Wave 05:23

10.Cozy Night 05:13

Members

Kođo - Vocals

Patrick - Guitar

Luke - Guitar

Lovre - Bass

Lemi - Drums

Review

Achachak is a Croatian Stoner Rock/Metal band who bring a Psychedelic influence to their music along with traces of Doom Metal and Fuzz Rock. The band have been going since 1999 but their new album High Mountain has shown me what I’ve been missing. This is their 2nd album and the band have released a previous full length and 3 EP’s which I’ve listened to all recently. Though, I must admit High Mountain is the one that impressed me the most with Achachak playing a rip-roaring and adventurous style of Slavic Stoner Rock as they call it themselves.

There are shades of Kyuss, Electric Wizard and Black Sabbath on this release with Achachak portraying a dark and progressive style of Scorched Desert Rock. The 10 tracks on offer here show that Achachak do things differently and bring many different Psychedelic Beats and Noises to the record with interesting results though not all work but it’s good to see the band trying to stand on their own creative ideas.

Opening song - High Mountain is a fuzzy Stoner Metal odyssey with a few trippy and nightmarish sounds that appear towards the end of the song. The vocals are interesting and go through many different changes which suits the mood of the entire record. The music is most definitely FUZZY but DOOMS at the same blistering pace but you can tell there’s something sinister going on behind the scenes. A bit like KYUSS jamming with a more demonic version of Electric Wizard.

Second song - Lonewolf - runs with that theme with the perfect demonic mix of KYUSS/Electric Wizard riff based amplifier worship. The album becomes decidedly different on this track and the Desert Rock groove has turned into a more desolate experience. The music is played LOW and SLOW with Achachak playing a more frantic style of music. The distorted guitars are one of the best things about this song as everything comes together for a LOUD WALL of sludgy based grooves.

Third song - Mr Morning - continues with guitar noise based feedback and psychedelic drenched vocals turning this album into a more Doom Metal based one than Stoner Rock/Metal but don’t fret. As Achachak still brings elements of their Slavic Stoner Rock to the later stages of this song and album. The lyrics are wildly inventive and perhaps influenced by the WEEDIAN lifestyle. Lead vocalist Kodo feels positively inspired by Al Cisneros and James Hetfield for this song. I know that sounds bat-shit crazy but wait until you hear the song. The song has an epic Drone based feel which makes this one of my favourite songs on the album.

I wish I could do a song-by-song play review for this album but there’s 10 songs and I would be here all day. All I will say is that Achachak plays the same wild creativity on the opening 3 songs for the rest of the album and still finds time to add a Classic Hard Rock influence on other parts of the album. 

Not everything works on this album but when Achachak get everything right then High Mountain is a thrilling Psychedelic Stoner Metal spectacle especially on songs such as: Maui Waui (Perhaps the best Brant Bjork song he’s never written), Bong Goddess, Mr SM (full of bone-crunching Doom based grooves) and the epic two-final song close off of Biggest Wave and Cozy Night.

High Mountain is an excellent and highly original album in places with Achachak showing a true passion and flair for the music they create and this is the type of album that will please both the Doom Metal and Stoner Metal crowds in equal measure. 

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

 

Words by Steve Howe

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram | YouTube

Psychedelic Swamp Rockers SMOKE Release New Video For LINEAGE From Upcoming New Album

Psychedelic Swamp/Stoner Rock Band SMOKE will be releasing their upcoming and thrilling new album in November 2021. The bane are aiming big with their release as they have 3 albums planned to be released over the next 2 years.

The 3 albums have one storyline and they're all connected. They'll start touring from 2022 onwards.

SMOKE are releasing the first single LINEAGE on Sunday 4th July but you can see the video of LINEAGE now.

SMOKE are a band to definitely check out and you'll find out about the band over the coming weeks and months. So head over their Social Media Pages and start following them.

Links

Facebook | Instagram

BOTTOMLESS Release New Visualizer Video For New Song MONASTERY From Forthcoming New Album

Bottomless is our vehicle to express a love that never dies, i.e. that for the most threatening, Sabbathic form of slow heavy metal we could ever come up with. There's no room for anything but our influences inside this project. That being said, our first album is the materialization of our vision. 

The Lowdown

Set for release on July 16th 2021 and featuring members of well known acts like Messa, Assumption and more, BOTTOMLESS will stir up the scene with their upcoming debut album, to be released this summer via Spikerot Records! Consisting of guitarist/singer Giorgio Trombino and drummer David Lucido (together in Assumption, Undead Creep, Haemophagus, Morbo and more) and joined by Sara Bianchin (Messa, Restos Humanos) in 2018 on bass, a constantly demanding musical schedule has forced the trio to keep postponing the recording and release of their first-full length album for years, yet, in 2021, it is finally about to come to life.

BOTTOMLESS' first self-titled record will be coming out on CD, LP and digital and features nothing but unadulterated Doom Metal in the vein of the ancient masters Black Sabbath, Saint Vitus, Pentagram, Trouble and The Obsessed. 

You can hear the new song for MONASTERY with this great video to get you in the mood for the new album.

Singer/Guitarist Giorgio Trombino said this about the song and video:

"What lies behind a pious man looking for shelter in the house of God? Saint or sinner, heaven or hell? We're interested in contrasts and that's what this track is all about. Two main sections crashing one into the other, both with a very somber tone yet uttering a single question: is God dead?"

Bottomless' s/t debut album will be coming out July 16th on Spikerot Records and is available for pre-order here: http://smarturl.it/bottomless

Tracklist: 

01. Monastery 

02. Centuries Asleep 

03. Bottomless 

04. The Talking Mask 

05. Ash 

06. Losing Shape 

07. Loveless Reign 

08. Vestige 

09. Cradling Obsession 

10. Hell Vacation (CD BONUS TRACK) 

BOTTOMLESS are:

Giorgio Trombino - Guitars / Vocals 

Sara Bianchin - Bass 

David Lucido - Drums 

For more info visit: 

https://www.facebook.com/Bottomlessdoom 

https://www.instagram.com/Bottomlessdoom 

https://www.facebook.com/spikerotrecords 

https://www.spikerot.com

Mountain Caller - Chronicle: Prologue (EP Review)

 

Release Date: July 09th 2021. Record Label: New Heavy Sounds. Format: DD/Vinyl

Chronicle: Prologue - Tracklisting

1.Something Stirred From Beneath The Rubble 09:02

2.Beyond This Black Horizon 05:58

3.Stripped Of All But Purpose

Members

Claire - Guitar

El - Bass

Max - Drums

Review

Instrumental Prog Doom Rockers Mountain Caller return with their new EP - Chronicle: Prologue, which acts as both follow-up and prequel to their wonderfully diverse and acclaimed debut release Chronicle 1: The Truthseeker.

This EP features similar themes, ideas and sounds from their debut album but has more than enough variety to see the band moving their sound even further with a more haunting Psychedelic score within the EP's almost 20 minute running time. The 3 tracks on show offer a lot of emotional depth with Mountain Caller playing between the many levels of Doom Metal, Post-Rock and Post-Metal with shades of Pelican and Pallbearer being some of the influences that I heard. I could also detect a slight influence from much missed Doom/Sludge Metallers - Fall Of Efrafa but that could be myself looking too much into things.

Opening song - Something Stirred From Beneath The Rubble - starts slowly with a mellow Post-Doon/Post-Rock groove before a heavier sludgy Post-Metal drive appears and Mountain Caller return to the powerful riffs they created on their debut album. This track is the standout track with it running for more than 9 minutes and I’m totally down with the Psychedelic and Post-Whatever tempo changes the band have used for this song. A real clever use of musical dynamics at play with the song both being beautifully played and frantically heavy at the same time.

The other two songs Beyond This Black Horizon and Stripped Of All But Purpose maybe aren’t as powerful as the opening but are still two superb examples of fantastic musicianship from Mountain Caller and even bring their own powerful heavy thrills and grooves along the way.

This EP consists of some of the earliest material written by Mountain Caller and it does show in places. However, this record is still a welcome addition to the The TruthSeeker story that Mountain Caller crafted so brilliantly on their debut album.

Chronicle: Prologue has got serious involvement from the Post-Metal community with Cult Of Luna’s Magnus Lindberg pulling mastering duties on this EP. And with Joe Clayton back producing once again, this EP sounds as fresh and exciting as what came before it.

 

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Simon at For The Lost for the promo. Chronicle: Prologue will be available to buy on Vinyl/DD through New Heavy Sounds from July 9th 2021.

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp