HIJSS - Stuck On Common Ground (Album Review)

Release Date: 08th March 2024. Record Label: Heavy Psych Sounds. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Stuck On Common Ground - Tracklisting

1.Ingraved

2.1234 me 

3.Headless Blues

4.Interlude #1

5.Train Tracks

6.Narcolepsy

7.Black Disease

8.Interlude #2

9.Blow Out

10.Tilt Mode

Members

Lois Lane - GUITAR / VOCALS

Maurice - DRUMS

Pan - BASS / SYNTH

Review

Stuck On Common Ground is the debut album from Psychedelic Stoner Rockers HIJSS who also focus upon bringing elements of Grunge, Noise Rock, Blues Rock and a healthy dose of Punk Rock swagger to the album. The sound is quite volatile with a catchy and aggressive 1990’s subtle Alternative flavour with HIJSS operating with a stripped back melody to their music whilst allowing a rip-roaring Sludge Rock attitude appearing within the lyrics, vocals and the heavy guitars when everything becomes more aggressive.

The opening tracks of Ingraved and 1234me allows HIJSS the perfect opportunity to play a stylish version of Grunge and Psychedelic Stoner Rock with moments of Electronic charged rhythms which soon transforms into a heavy Krautrock movement which allows the Noise Rock atmosphere to be brimming with Punk Rock attitude. There’s a level of sonic based distortion which allows HIJSS to play some original music of their own even within the early stages of the album.

Third track Headless Blues weaves Blues Rock dominance with an almost experimental Punk Rock dynamics with levels of Psychedelic and Cosmic energy which adds another thrilling aspect to their music that remains quite upbeat with that rebellious nature the vocals and lyrics are delivered within this track alone. 

Fourth track Interlude#1 is a Electronic and Psychedelic instrumental track which can be quite eccentric in places but hazy Blues Rock energy just works within the Post-Rock flow of the whole track. It’s quite a creative departure from the previous tracks but allows HIJSS to gear up for the next round of Psychedelic craziness the album has in store for the listener.

The following songs of Train Tracks, Narcolepsy and Black Disease sees HIJSS take a darker approach with the album. As the music becomes quite seedy with that wicked Punk Rock and Stoner Rock vibe that soon transforms into Electronic noises, beats, sounds and Freakly glitches which shouldn’t really work within the Stoner Rock movement but HIJSS pull this off with great style. The band still moves further into the classic style of Desert/Stoner Rock especially within Narcolepsy with Lois Lane’s vocals being quite surreal and reaching to high levels of volume.

After the wicked instrumental track Interlude #2 sees HIJSS return to the destructive best with the final two tracks Blow Out and Tilt Mode being the most riff driven and anthemic parts of the album especially on Blow Out. There’s a darker sensibility appearing within the lyrics despite some of the more uplifting instrumental moments being played on these tracks. 

Heavy Psych Sounds are releasing this album and you all know what to expect from one of the best labels within the Stoner Rock/Metal scene and that’s why Stuck On Common Ground doesn’t disappoint within the production quality department. 

Stuck On Common Ground is a breath of fresh air with it’s catchy, aggressive and experimental grooves which still remains a first rate Stoner Rock album from start to finish. The production values are superbly realised and perhaps considered to be more Punk Rock based especially with the stripped back atmospherics which allows HIJSS to explore multiple different genres and remain superbly original from start to finish.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the promo.

Stuck On Common Ground will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Heavy Psych Sounds from Friday March 08th 2024. 

Links

Bandcamp - Facebook

Italian Psych Rockers FRANK NEVER DIES Unveil "Red Moon Rising" Full Album Details

Italian Psych Rockers FRANK NEVER DIES have officially unveiled the comprehensive album particulars for their highly anticipated sophomore album, 'Red Moon Rising,' slated to debut via Argonauta Records on March 29, 2024.

Album tracklisting and cover art are as follows:

1. Peep Show
2. Red Moon Rising
3. Audrey
4. One of these Nights
5. Living Spell
6. The Fortune Teller
7. Know my Name

Previously, the band released an outstanding official music video for "Red Moon Rising": 

Compared to their debut LP (Behind the Paradox, Blood Rock Records), the sound created by the band is now less melodic and presents more free structures that recall 70' psychedelia. Inspirations from jazz, trip-hop, funk, and grunge merge with it.

The result of this eclectism creates a mysterious and enigmatic atmosphere, following the main themes of the LP, related to the red moon as worshipped or feared symbol: before it, the humanity reveals its most irrational aspect, between madness and adoration.

The first LP was completely instrumental, in Red Moon Rising instead Mirko Giuseppone and Simona Ferrucci sing in some tracks.

The drum's sound of Luca Zannini is direct, sometimes aggressive, tribal and lead role all the time.

Mirko's guitar, compared to the first LP, has a rough and vivid sound, frequently played through wah-wah pedal. The inspiration is between rock & blues and grunge.

The vintage's sound of Simona's synths contributes to the creation of a '70 touch. The bass frequently becomes the third melodic line in the tracks, with unconventional rhythm patterns and effects.

The composition of Red Moon Rising started in 2020. After three years, the drum and voice recording, mixing and mastering were made by Fabio Ferri (renowned sound engineer and former drummer of Il Balletto di Bronzo), in his studio in Roma Millenium Audio Recording.

Guitars, bass and synths were recorded in Rome at Blue Bird Studio of Simona Ferrucci and Mirko Giuseppone.

For more info:

https://www.frankneverdies.com/
https://frankneverdies.bandcamp.com/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/0hWOakdsIT5EHaNJ1ojfTd
https://www.facebook.com/FrankNeverDies/
https://www.instagram.com/frankneverdies/
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mi8W9JqpOumRlCPLIIxkegEugwjPcmS0I
https://www.facebook.com/ArgonautaRecords

Thanks to Grand Sounds Promotion for the details. 

Fuzz/Alternative/Stoner Rockers WASTE A SAINT Release New Song/Video For C.M.T.L From Upcoming New Album RAVENOUS

Waste a Saint is a Norwegian band from Trondheim that plays melodic stoner rock with psychedelic touches and their sound has been compared to bands such as Queens of the Stone Age, The Dead Weather and Spiders, alternative rock from the nineties and fuzzed bands from the late sixties.

 
After the release of their debut album "Hypercarnivore" (All Good Clean Records - 2022), they've toured all over Norway and played in cities like Gothenburg and Copenhagen.

In June 2023, Waste a Saint entered the Sørgården studio to record their second album “Ravenous” with Per Borten from Spidergawd sitting behind the recording console. “Ravenous” essentially picks up their debut “Hypercarnivore” left off, presenting the characteristic sound Waste a Saint has created over the years and showcases their ability to meld genres. With a foundation of melodic stoner rock, singable choruses and catchy guitar riffs, the band incorporates elements from metal, blues and kraut rock throughout the album’s eight tracks.

Line-up:

Bogey Stefansdottir - Vocals
Alexander Skomakerstuen - Guitars
Ole Nogva - Bass
Øivind Fossem - Drums

We're excited to premiere the new song C.M.T.L from their upcoming new album Ravenous due out on Friday March 1st 2024 on All Good Clean Records.

The band say this about the track: "The song is by far the most aggressive on the album, but it's also one of the songs we had the most fun creating. The lyrics are from the pov of someone who was cheated on; when the cheater regrets what they've done and comes begging for forgiveness. To make the theme really stand out, we wanted to have someone to add scream vocals and we were lucky enough to get the awesome Sondre Sørensen Brønstad from Agabas to do just that. Despite its aggressiveness, the song has a playfulness to it that reflects the satisfaction of standing your ground, making it a band favourite."

Waste A Saint Links

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WASTEASAINT
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wasteasaint/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4B2lsuc5S3s9fRk5mEusSi

All Good Clean Records Links

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/allgoodcleanrecords
Website: http://www.allgoodcleanrecords.com

Thanks to Viral Propaganda PR for all of the details.

Swedish Doomsters CAVERN DEEP Hunt Monsters on Gripping New Single ‘THE PEELER’

Hailing from Umeå in Northern Sweden, the trio have carved out a name for themselves in recent years with hulking doom that has got the underground listening...

‘The Peeler’, the brand-new single from Cavern Deep is out now via Bonebag Records

Watch the video for ‘The Peeler’ below!

Founded in 2019 by Max Malmer and former members of Swedish death metallers, Zonaria, and retro rockers, Gudars Skymning; Sweden’s Cavern Deep has established itself as one of the Scandinavia’s finest new doom metal bands.

Having released their first album in 2021 on the Polish label Interstellar Smoke Records, the band has since formed and issued music under their own Bonebag Records imprint, most recently releasing their latest record, Part II – Breach, to critical acclaim across Europe.

Returning this month for a one-off release, new single ‘The Peeler’ was originally intended to be a bonus track on the band’s forthcoming album. But while all good things come to those who wait, some things are too awesome to not share immediately. For those impatient souls itching for new material from the Umeå trio, this sleeping giant of a track focuses its attention on a lost mythical monster who resides in the deep cavernous realms of a long-lost civilisation. A hideous beast that hypnotises and oozes slime from its jaws, peeling skin from its still-stirring victims, and feeding off them piece by piece.

Towering guitars and drums soundtrack the ensuing chaos and seek to capture the creature using stark riffs and crushing strokes of colossal doom metal. Coupled with fantastic stop motion footage – assembled, and animated by artist, “Bob” – for the single’s visualiser video, ‘The Peeler’ is out now via Bonebag Records – bonebagrecords.com

CAVERN DEEP:

Max Malmer – Bass, Vocals
Dennis Sjödin – Drums, Vocals, Keyboards
Kenny Oswald Dufvenberg – Vocals, Guitars

LIVE DATES:

2/3 – Musikhuset – Gävle, Sweden
23/3 – Gamla Enskede Bryggeri – Johanneshov, Sweden
24/5 – Droskan – Umeå, Sweden

Cavern Deep on Bandcamp | Instagram | Facebook

Thanks to Sheltered Life PR for all of the details

Clouds Taste Satanic - 79 A.E. (Album Review)

Release Date: 01st March 2024. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

79 A.E. - Tracklisting

1.Collision 

2.Reclamation

Review

Instrumental Doom Metallers Clouds Taste Satanic return with their eighth album 79 A.E. which acts as a soundtrack to an unmade Apocalyptic Film. Consisting of two tracks both running for around twenty two minutes in length, the record is quite different to their acclaimed 2023 effort Tales Of Demonic Possession. As the band play a more streamlined version of Doom/Stoner Metal with flashes of Post-Rock and Ambient based energy.

This record has a more dominant Psychedelic and Cosmic sound with the band even adding a wicked style of classic Stoner grooves within the epic opening track Collision. Sludgy guitars abound within the first half of the song with a vibrant stop/start approach with the gloomy moments of the song. There is a subtle Blues Rock energy which the band splices with Space Rock attitude.

Even with no vocals or soundbytes, Clouds Taste Satanic provides a thrilling storytelling narrative which becomes ever more real when the heavier instrumental jams appear with the drumming being a real highlight.

Second track Reclamation sees Clouds Taste Satanic operate with a more Progressive vision which ultimately builds upto multiple different styles of Cosmic Doom and Psychedelic Stoner themes which takes the listener ever so closer to the impending arrival of ARMAGEDDON that 79 A.E. has been built for. The music is ever so real with a street level attitude despite the OUT OF THIS WORLD and science fiction creativity that the band have used for the record. The sound can be quite down-tuned in places with moments of bleak cinematic grooves before changing into small moments of uplifting blissful energy. 

79 A.E. is a first rate exercise in SONIC DELIVERY where the music feels almost too real at times and even hearing Clouds Taste Satanic having a more free-flowing attitude especially on the later stages of the album. Intricate noises and Ambient rhythms are used throughout the album which only adds to the overall excitement of the whole record. It’s great to see Clouds Taste Satanic explore new areas of music with that lush Post-Rock attitude being used to wonderful effect on Reclamation. 

This is an album with genuine HEART and SOUL with a powerful DESTRUCTIVE quality which gives it a more emotional feel that you don’t initially expect. 79 A.E. proves once again why Clouds Taste Satanic are without doubt one of the finest Instrumental bands from the Doom/Stoner Metal scene around today. This is another unmissable record from the band. 

Explore Your Own Cosmic Destruction at your own leisure. Simply unmissable.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Sheltered Life and Majestic Mountain Records for the promo.

79 A.E. will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Majestic Mountain Records from March 1st 2024.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Rising US Doom Rockers ELK WITCH Join Forces with MAJESTIC MOUNTAIN RECORDS for New Album

Hailing from the mountainous surrounds of Southern Oregon, Elk Witch is a heavy rock trio founded in 2019 by guitarist/vocalist Deven Andersen, bassist Darren Wostenberg, and drummer Joe Coitus.

When combined, the effect of that classic psych rock and progressive doom sound on their style has led critics to compare them to legendary bands such as Black Sabbath, The Sword, and The Obsessed. Leaning on riff-driven rock and raw energy to propel them forward on a sonic exploration, the band's ability to seamlessly blend modern musical elements into 70s and 90s metal make them a must-listen for any fan of the genre.

In 2020, Elk Witch unveiled their debut EP, The Mountain, which ultimately laid the foundations for their signature sound. Catching the attention of StoneFly Records in 2021 the release of their debut album a year later (Beyond the Mountain, 2022) solidified their presence on the stoner rock landscape and showcased the band's evolution and commitment to pushing boundaries. Their inevitable ascent was highlighted by impressive rankings on the Doom Charts which heralded their arrival as a rising force to be reckoned with.

Now in a partnership with Majestic Mountain Records, Elk Witch is poised to release their second full-length this April and are leading the charge with the album’s new single and title track, ‘Azimuth’.

“To me, ‘Azimuth’ holds a feeling and vibe we were really going for on the album,” explains Deven Andersen. “The lyrics draw inspiration from a personal experience, a trip to the high desert in Eastern Oregon, a land of isolation with sparse population. It has an amazing blend of desert landscape with high peaked snow-covered mountains. I was thinking this is the place I would go if something happened to civilization.”

A natural progression from their debut, Azimuth, takes the core ingredients of that Elk Witch sound to a more refined and diverse plane. Delving into broader subject matters that extend beyond the earthly realms, it explores both the past and future of existence, while it’s sound – perfectly captured on wax by those hardworking wizards at Majestic Mountain Records – operates at a higher sonic level and clarity with near-flawless production.

“It’s a surreal feeling to be able to call Majestic Mountain Records home. It was on our minds from the get-go making our second record. There's an undeniable vibe about MMR that resonates with us, and we felt a natural connection with them, especially given that Sweden is such a major force in the heavier and slower side of metal. We're genuinely psyched about what it represents in the heavy underground scene.”

Azimuth will be released on 19th April via Majestic Mountain Records on heavy weight 180g colour-in-colour vinyl (marbled red and smoky grey) with gatefold spine, and can be pre-ordered HERE

Watch the stunning video for the title track AZIMUTH from the upcoming album of the same name.

Elk Witch:

Deven Andersen – Guitar, Vocals
Darren Wostenberg – Bass
Joe Coitus – Drums

Tracklisting

1. Dead Silence 

2. Azimuth 

3. Liminal Space 

4. Empyrean

5. Vortex

6. Universe 25

7. Space Drift

8. Ghosts of the Lupatia

9. Goddess of Winter

Artist: Elk Witch

Album: Azimuth

Record Label: Majestic Mountain Records

Formats: Vinyl/CD/Digital

Release Date: 19/04/2024

 

Produced by Elk Witch 

Engineered & Mixed by Deven Andersen

Recorded & Mixed at Vortex Studios at Central Point, Oregon 

Mastered by Dan Coutant at Sun Room Audio, New Windsor, New York

Album Cover by Adam Burke @nightjarillustration 

Gatefold Images by @Nibera and @Jadoarts 

Gatefold Layout & Graphics by Deven Andersen

Elk Witch on Bandcamp | Web | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Thanks to Sheltered Life PR and Majestic Mountain Records for the info.

Gravity Well - Negative Space (Album Review)

Release Date: 23rd February 2024. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

Negative Space - Tracklisting

1.As Above 03:14

2.The Abstract 07:16

3.Delirium 06:42

4.Burning Gaze 05:28

5.The Forest 05:50

6.So Below 06:00

Members

Vocals, Synth - Fionnuala McGlinchy

Guitar - Tom Finney

Bass - Michael McFarlane

Drums - Ciaran O'Kane

Review

Negative Space is the new album from Psychedelic Doom/Stoner Rockers Gravity Well who play with a Spaced Out sound with haunting vocals from Fionnuala McGlinchy providing the storytelling narrative. Though, the band injects spoken word interludes into the album. Taking creative cues and inspiration from bands such as SLEEP, Black Sabbath, Windhand and another certain Belfast band by the name of SLOMATICS.

This record has a more groove driven sound compared to their 2022 release Earthbound which sees a diverse range of different Doomed Out melodies and Heavy Psychedelic instrumental passages. The whole record is powered by an epic Stoner Rock/Metal tone which can be quite DRONE based in places especially within the stunning opening tracks of As Above, The Abstract and Delirium. 

If you ever wondered what WINDHAND would sound like if they ventured into far reaches of space then Gravity Well is perhaps the closest you’ll hear. However, Gravity Well are most definitely their own band playing a highly addictive blend of Doom/Stoner grooves with a hint of classic Sludge Rock for when the heavy grooves appear. The sound can be quite progressive with a Noise Rock edge on the later stages of the album.

Gravity Well are quite adept in blending Ambient themes and tones into a more Atmospheric style of music which just fills the whole Spaced Out Environment of the record especially on the heaviest parts of the album. The lyrics are another highlight which draws the listener into a deep emotional state especially when the Prog Rock movements appear out of nowhere with Fionnuala’s vocals are the perfect guide which have a deep Alt Rock/Dreamlike flow to them.

The second half of the album is just as diverse and inventive with the multitude of different Psychedelic sounds which cross into Shoegaze/Doomgaze territory with Burning Gaze and So Below being the standout tracks on the album. The band always finds the time to include classic guitar solos even when the song is perhaps dominated by a more ferocious style of Stoner Metal.

Negative Space is a superbly realised and constructed album with Gravity Well bringing their own fantastic style of Psychedelic Stoner Metal to the underground masses. With excellent production values, this album is one that offers a stunning cinematic vision if you like your music with that added extra level of Cosmic SPICE.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram