Mammoth Storm - Fornjot (Album Review)

Release date: November 06^th 2015. Label: Napalm Records. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Fornjot – Tracklisting

1. Augurs Echo

2. Vultures Prey

3. Sumerian Cry

4. Fornjot

5. Horns of Jura

6. Hekla

Band Members:

Daniel Arvidsson - Bass, Vocals

Christer Ström - Guitars

Emil Ahlman - Drums, Organ

Review:

Mammoth Storm released a well-received EP – Rite of Ascension - back in 2014 with the band’s style of progressive Doom/Stoner Metal. These guys are from Sweden and we know Sweden are one of the current kings of all things Doom/Stoner Metal. Now, Mammoth Storm return their debut full length record – Fornjot.

Fornjot is a conceptual album of sorts based on an Ancient Giant from Norse mythology who was king of Finland, Kvenland and Gotland. (I know this sounds like a crazy advert for a Folk/Power Metal album but it’s not. So you’re safe on that one). Mammoth Storm have stuck very closely to their Swedish roots on this album. Heavy Doom/Stoner Metal riffs blended with tales of mythology and fantasy. It’s a setup that the guys brilliantly get away with as they’ve created a non-stop exercise of loud progressive doom metal riffage.

Opening track – Augars Echo – is an epic 11 minute track with the band creating a doomy atmosphere with the emphasis on noise and volume. Daniel’s vocals are very narrative at times with an exciting story unfolding right in front of you. The bass heavy guitars add extra grit as the band venture into progressive rock/metal territory. There’s an element of FUZZ which I didn’t expect as the sound becomes more distorted before a twisted vibe of Psych Rock appears.

Second track – Vultures Prey – is another epic doom-laden track with the music once again remaining within the Doom/Fuzz/Stoner Metal realm. The lyrics will probably mean more to fans of Norse Mythology but that doesn’t stop this being another exciting song on the album. The drums and guitars are loud through-out with a few moments of psychedelic freak-outs merged with slow progressive doomy riffs. Daniel is clearly passionate about what he’s singing about as his vocal range is quite impressive on this song.

Third track – Sumerian Cry – is one of the albums shortest tracks running under 3 minutes. It’s an instrumental song with hints of Eastern vibes. A nice change from the band. Shame it’s such a short song as the duelling guitars set against a distorted noisy backdrop has quite a calming and soothing atmosphere.

Fourth track – Fornjot – finally appears and it’s good to see what this mystical Norse Giant has in store for us. As expected, Mammoth Storm create some of the albums most exciting moments as the heavy progressive doom/stoner metal riffs weave a dark hypnotic almost trance-like vibe. It’s a very slow paced affair but that’s a good thing as it gives Mammoth Storm the chance to experiment with their sound. Layers of noise and psych rock collide with Daniel’s commanding vocals as the song reaches a thrilling climax.

The final two songs – Horns Of Jura and Hekla – offer 24 minutes of action packed progressive doom metal though Horns Of Jura does see the band try their hand at creating Ambient based noises which makes for an intriguing listen. Horns Of Jura does take some time to finally get going as the band take their time unleashing the heavier riffs but it’s all worth it when they finally appear. The final song – Hekla – is perhaps the best song on the album as Mammoth Storm do just that – unleashing a Mammoth Storm of heavy riffs over an epic progressive groove. It starts very slowly but beware; the mood becomes heavier as Mammoth Storm end the album to its natural conclusion.

One of the strengths of Fornjot is the lyrics as Mammoth Storm have written fantastic lyrics throughout and ones that give actual power to the music. Though I know most people will be here for the heavy riffs. You won’t be disappointed on that score either. Fornjot is a stunning debut album on all levels. Check this out as you won’t be disappointed.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Mona at Napalm Records for the promo. Fornjot will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl from 6th November 2015 via Napalm Records.

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Gentlemans Pistols - Hustler's Row (Album Review)

Release date: October 16^h 2015. Label: Nuclear Blast Records. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Hustler's Row – Tracklisting

1. The Searcher

2. Devil’s Advocate On Call

3. Time Wasters

4. Private Rendezvous

5. Stress & Confusion

6. Personal Fantasy Wonderland

7. Lady Teaser

8. Dazzle Drizzler

9. Coz Of You

10. Hustler’s Row

Band Members:

James Atkinson

Bill Steer

Stuart Dobbins

Robert Threapleton

Review:

Since forming over a decade ago, Gentlemans Pistols have been cranking out their songs of debauchery and hard living with a confident swagger and with third album Hustlers Row have come up with their best work yet.

Following 2011s At Her Majesty's Pleasure, Hustlers Row sees the band doing what they do best but definitely doing it bigger with a fantastic set of songs. The likes of Humble Pie and a Wishbone Ash are still a big influence on the band but there is more of an added catchy influence from the The Sweet this time around especially on tracks like Dazzle Drizzler.

The classic rock n roll of Coz Of You, the rollicking groove of Devils Advocate On Call and blazing opening track The Searcher keep the energy levels high while the more introspective likes of Stress & Confusion and the wonderfully mournful title track give the album a good balance of up and down temp classic rock songs.

Hustlers Rows standout moment has to be Private Rendezvous, a high energy romp that is reminiscent of Free at their peak with a storming vocal performance from front-man James Atkinson and a classic Bill Steer guitar solo. The catchy riffs here really drive the track forward in the best way possible and there is a real feel-good factor that will put a massive smile on the face of the listener.

The band themselves play a blinder with the passionate vocals of James Atkinson soaring on every track. Bill Steers guitar playing is as sublime as ever on the album (check out his solo on Lady Teaser and the aforementioned Private Rendezvous for proof!) and is reminiscent of his work with the brilliant Firebird and it's good to hear him playing his heart out and the dual guitars from Steer and Atkinson work perfectly. Add in a solid backbone by the rhythm section of Robert Threapleton and Stuart Dobbins and you have a vintage performance by the band

With Hustlers Row, Gentlemans Pistols have made a big album with even bigger songs and with the likes of Rival Sons, Blackberry Smoke and The Temperance Movement gaining critical kudos, selling more records and playing bigger and bigger venues, there is no reason why Gentlemans Pistols won't be joining them and Hustlers Row is the album that will do this for them. This is a great album full of anthemic songs executed in the most life affirming way possible.

Words by Gavin Brown

Order the album here from Nuclear Blast Records.

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My Home On Trees - How I Reached Home (Album Review)

Release date: September 25^th 2015. Label: Heavy Psych Sounds. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

How I Reached Home – Tracklisting

1. Winter(feat. Steve Moss of The Midnight Ghost Train)

2. I Forget Everything

3. Don't Panic

4. War Of The Worlds

5. Arrow

6. Resume

7. My Home On Trees

Band Members:

Laura Mancini - vocals

Marco Bertucci - guitars

Giovanni Mastrapasqua - bass guitar

Marcello Modica - drums

Review:

My Home On Trees from Milano, Italy, are another brand new acquaintance to me even though they've been around for a few years already. 'How I Reached Home' is their second full-length but the first on Heavy Psych Sounds, and man this is so damned good! Might have said this before but I do love to be introduced bands like My Home On Trees. You know, outfits who have been kicking around a bit, and simply blow me away when I finally get to hear them. It truly instil renewed faith in the world of music for me.

Starting off this brand new wax with 'Winter' and hell, this how you do it. Go all out and sucker-punch the listeners, giving them no respite whatsoever. Full tilt from the start, they pummel me over and over as the ballsy Laura Mancini bellows and croons, piling even more hurt on me. Eventually they slow down considerably only to be joined by Steve Moss from The Midnight Ghost Train on vocals. And his presence adds layers upon layers of darkness on the tune…beautiful! At first, ‘I Forget Everything’ has an 80’s indie-feel to it that seamlessly shifts to a sludgy beast. Picking up pace gradually the songs turns into a slow fuzzed-out desert tune while Signorina Mancini again show what a fantastic singer she is. ‘Don’t Panic’ is a mid-paced fully blown stoner composition in the Kyuss mould. It snakes and weaves back and forth before hitting the speed of a snail only to kick-start and taking the shape of punk tune overdosing on reverb. Since I really, really like ‘How I Reached Home’ and don’t want to rain on My Home On Trees’ parade, the inclusion of an excerpt from the original radio broadcast of ‘War Of The Worlds’ is pointless. To me it doesn’t serve any purpose with the other songs and the band should have included another tune instead. Enough moaning on my part though.

Picking up where ‘Don’t Panic’ left off, ‘Arrow’ ups the ante somewhat. Retaining stoner as its base, there’s a lot more punk discernible. Both in the music and in the singing. Up front and in my face, I just love it. Husky and seductive and backed by an eerie harmonica and a tripped out bass guitar, Laura leads My Home On Trees into the realm of led-heavy badassery, as ‘Resume’ adopts an ebb and flow persona which works so beautifully with the song’s spaced-out approach. Don’t get fooled though, because it’s a scary composition, and then some. ‘My Home On Trees’ is the album closer and step by step, it crushes me to a bloody pulp. Not particularly fast, it instead severely punishing in its quest completely disintegrate me. Fantastic, you hear!

Somehow they mix punk attitude with doom, stoner and sludge and it works so well. Can’t stress enough how damned tight and talented Signori Bertucci, Mastrapasqua and Modica are, as they blend these styles while creating second to none, amazing music. Add Signorina Mancini’s earth-shattering voice on top of the music and you one of my new favourite bands, My Home On Trees. These Italians are not to be ignored, so check them out pronto and help spread the word.

Words by Håkan Nyman

Thanks to Claire at Purple Sage PR for the promo. How I Reach Home is now available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl from Heavy Psych Sounds.

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With The Dead - S/T (Album Review)

Release date: October 16th 2015. Label: Rise Above Records. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

With The Dead – S/T – Tracklisting

01. Crown of Burning Stars

02. The Cross

03. Nephthys

04. Living With The Dead

05. I Am The Virus

06. Screams From My Own Grave

Band Members:

Lee Dorrian - Vocals

Mark Greening - Drums & Concussion

Tim Bagshaw - Guitar & Bass

Review:

People shouting and rushing around amidst the confusion. Who is this poor gentleman that has staggered into my place of work and collapsed?

We clear a space, asking startled and frightened patients to take a seat and let him breathe as we slowly make our way towards the crumpled figure, slumped on the floor by the reception desk.

Who is he? What's caused this? And why is he here?

It's the postman. And he's been crushed by the sheer heaviness of the shiny new With The Dead record he's just hand delivered to me.

So much has been already said about this band that's barely a year old, just released their first music and have yet to set foot on stage together. There's a lot of hype (which is a fucking awful word by the way) about the members of WTD. Dorrian, Bagshaw and Greening. (I'm not going to list past CV's as I will assume you have heard heavy music before)

Expectations are high. And does the record live up to those expectations?

Yes. So. Much. Yes.

From the moment the impossibly heavy opener "Crown Of Burning Stars" smashes it's way into your life it's obvious that this is going to be a special record for a lot of people. That familiar rhythm section back together making proper heavy fucking riffs that certain other doom bands (soap operas) would sell their Oxfam flares to be turning out.

Tim Bagshaw's disgustingly fuzzy riffs will make you feel dirty and uncomfortable and latch onto you unwilling to let go. Mark Greening's massive tom fills sound, well just fucking massive! And then there's the vocals. For me the thing that put me off Cathedral were the vocals. This is unmistakeably Lee Dorrian singing over these, but this time his voice sounds more real. More feral. Just more. And I'm a convert now.

2nd track "The Cross" keeps the momentum going and features a great outro with some lovely guitar harmonies and samples presumably straight from a 70's horror movie.

"Nephthys" features more of those wicked guitar/bass harmonies and proves Tim Bagshaw can do more than just produce bowel troubling heavy riffs and features a catchy chorus which if I'm honest I wasn't expecting from this record.

"Living With The Dead" opens with another truly creepy sample "You see I can't help you. I'm dead. Aren't you?" before the chorus erupts, with another hulking great riff that seems to slow down as it progresses as Lee bellows the title over the cacophony beneath him.

"I Am Your Virus" is a personal favourite of mine. The track got briefly published on YouTube so you may have heard it before it was taken down. (I think it was leaked after a radio play of the track) It's a bristling and confident track which has a swagger and groove to it that maybe you wouldn't expect on a record like this.

"Screams From My Own Grave" opens with just drums. You can hear those trademark 30" cymbals ringing out awash with reverb and just before the minute mark the track kicks in. This is proper doom right here. Slow, monolithic riffs and more of those almost tortured vocals as the track and album crawl towards their conclusion. As the track starts to fade away, a Hammond organ makes an appearance and some truly fucking horrific sampled (I hope) screams resonate in the background as the guitars and bass give way to feedback and we're done.

I've already seen some people saying they're not that keen on With The Dead, or that they don't get the fuss about them. Some probably because it's "cool" to knock what is perceived as the next big thing and some because they're just not into it. And that's fine. Because music is subjective and we all like what we like.

For me though. With The Dead very much deserve the praise and attention that has surrounded them. This is as heavy as anything else I've heard from this trio (or any other bands for a while for that matter) and there were clearly some demons exorcised here.

Between them they have released some truly landmark albums in the genre and I think they may have just gone and done it again. To borrow a phrase from the old guard......

Fuck Weak Doom.

Words by Simon Ross Wililams

With The Dead is available to buy on CD/Vinyl from Rise Above Records now. Read our interview with Mark Greening that Simon did recently.

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WINDHAND - Grief's Internal Flower (Album Review)

Release date: September 18^th 2015. Label: Relapse Records. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Grief's Infernal Flower – Tracklisting

1.Two Urns 08:11

2.Forest Clouds 09:11

3.Crypt Key 05:39 video

4.Tanngrisnir 05:36

5.Sparrow 04:46

6.Hyperion 05:29

7.Hesperus 14:26

8.Kingfisher 14:19

9.Aition 03:32

Band Members:

Asechiah Bogdan - Guitars

Garrett Morris - Guitars

Dorthia Cottrell - Vocals

Ryan Wolfe - Drums

Parker Chandler - Bass

Review:

Virginia’s Windhand will be familiar to most within the shadowy realms of the international Doom scene. Plying their particular trade for around seven years, they’ve stuck close to the genre’s roots over the course of their previous two full-length releases (2012’s self-titled released and 2013’s Soma), and their third studio album Grief’s Infernal Flower sees their trademark sound polished to perfection like the handles on a grandiose coffin.

Opener ‘Two Urns’ starts with ambience before a fuzzed out, mammoth of a riff lumbers in, grinding on like an infernal organ played backwards. One of the bands’ strengths on this record is nailing down the quintessential elements of the classic doom riff – tone, groove and tempo. ‘Two Urns’ swings between driving force and deliberately paced, before slowing down hard towards the climax, bludgeoning you with a remorseless, repeated phrase.

‘Forest Clouds’ begins with a touch of psychedelia – a buzzing, phasing and reverb drenched riff that is cast aside by a crunchy, swaggering passage that will have you swaying. Wolfe’s drum work is intuitive and organic; his cymbals are satisfyingly splashy, and his fills skilful without drawing too much focus. It’s clear that the quintet are happy to sit on a single, strong riff for as long as they like, letting each breathe and grow naturally without forcing too many shifts on proceedings.

‘Tanngrisnir’ and ‘Hyperion’ act as two excellent summaries for the overall tone of the album – huge, buzzing lines that instil a sense of growing disquiet, building feedback, stately, slab-like riffs and sparkling guitar sorcery. ‘Sparrow’ is just Dorthia Cottrell and a sombre, frail yet honest acoustic guitar track that really allows her breathy vocals to come to the fore. Throughout the record, her voice acts as a hook, something to entice and ensnare, a wearied yet sonorous croon that is at times a bit too recessed in the mix, but this merely adds to the mystique.

When you reach the album’s zenith, the sprawling, psyched-out ‘King Fisher’, it’s blatant that Windhand have done something worthy. Like Pallbearer, they’ve taken doom, traced it back to the dark, pulsating root, and then dragged it into the light of the present, adding no little polish. This isn’t doom being wilfully unlistenable; there’s repetition and chops to satisfy all but the most ardent doom-beard, but this is a record you could play to your ‘unenlightened’ kith and kin and not have the CD immediately ejected and hurled, Frisbee style from the room. Vital stuff, evidence of why the doom renaissance just keeps getting stronger.

Words by Jamie Hampshire

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MERLIN - CHRISTKILLER (Vinyl Review)

Release date: October 17^th 2015. Label: Poisoned Mind Records. Format: Vinyl

Masticator EP – Tracklisting

1.Overture 2:39

2.Execution 5:32

3.Deal With The Devil 8:31

4.Lucifer’s Revenge 10:47

5.The Christkiller 10:51

6.Forever My Queen 6:10

Band Members:

Jordan Knorr - Lead Vocals

Carter Lewis - Lead Guitar, Backround Vocals, Synth

Caleb Wyels – Percussions

Ben Cornett - Rythmn Guitar

Evan Warren - Bass

Review:

“Like most stories of black magik and pacts with the devil, the story of Merlin is dark, mysterious and unknown...” in this way Merlin (the band) introduces themselves on their bandcamp page, and this tale about a magical wizard dealing in a spellbinding and excellent blend of occult, psych, space doom metal has for sure been hidden buried deep in the underground for quite some time.

Now the time of haze is yet to seize, as the fairly new established DIY label Poisoned Mind Records is about to give this bleak killer the proper vinyl release it so dearly deserves including new cover artwork done by the ever so talented Joshua Wilkinson of Company Design. Come the 17. October the unholy murderer is unleashed on the hesitant horde of stoners and they will surrender at his will. There is no escaping this outing as it will be among the top of a very strong running of vinyl releases closing out 2015. A year, that already 3 quarters in has been swamped with one brilliant release after another of stoner doom psych sludge releases by both established bigger names and new and upcoming bands abound.

Christ Killer is the debut full length album, by Kansas City, Missouri’s devil bred occultists in Merlin, and it was released back in April last year. The entire album is based on the concept from the “Gladiator 2: Christ Killer” screenplay, that was never filmed, but somehow the guys behind Merlin must have thought that it needed a proper soundtrack nonetheless.

Well then, on to the music. Christ Killer opens with an instrumental ‘Overture’ comprised of unpleasant synthesizer organs setting the spirit just right for the audible exorcism that is about to take place. Listening to this song is like entering an apparently abandoned church ruin at dark night just to discover the execution of a black mass of hedonistic rituals.

Upon the next track an ‘Execution’ is about to take place and a slow march-drum and acoustic guitars mark the unset of something truly disturbing. The killer is embarking and a spree is about to commence:

“Devil, please don’t take me down, all the way on down to hell. Devil, oh please don’t take me down, down to my grave. Mama’s been crying all day, ‘cause son is on that killing line. Mama’s been crying for days, is the devil coming down the line.”

This track is a shiny black pearl of groovy stoner doom that lends equal parts from Hawkwind’s kind of spaced out rock feel, Uncle Acid’s trippy catchiness and Black Sabbath’s austere riffs to procure a near perfect soundtrack to your favourite deranged horror B-movie. Besides the intro, ‘Execution’ is the shortest ‘real’ song on the album and it wastes no time in bringing all of Merlin’s qualities in to play; dark and sinister cinematic atmospheres, great melodies and killer riffs. If there is a one-stop-shop to Christ Killer and you have less than 5 minutes to get hooked, this is the track to put on first.

Third track, “Deal With The Dead”, starts with some seriously deep Gregorian chant like vocals over a slow build-up of drumming before it all kicks off into orbit with Jordan Knorr’s epic vocals soaring over a mid-paced psych-tinged stoner rock hymn. The added element of keyboards spread over the entirety of the track creates an overall creepy, mind-bending atmosphere and enforces the cinematic feel. It’s very refreshing and really sets Merlin apart from a lot of others in the genre, and in fact it’s seldom that a band is able pack this much ambience into the music without losing energy and heaviness.

On ‘Lucifer’s Revenge’ Merlin up’s the ante on the progressive level and the duration of track length. Over the course of the next 10 minutes and some the listener is taken on a backbreaking journey through Lucifer’s dark dungeons deep below mortal ground and into subsurface doom space heaven. This here is an exploratory musical science project where one is transported through various soundscapes from early 70’s progressive rock a la Yes and Pink Floyd onwards through present day space rock acts such as The Cosmic Dead. At stake on the mind blowing sonical travelogue is space doom at the pinnacle; it is not for the faint of heart and certainly NOT for the average radio-station-3-minutes-middle-of-the-road-boring-Nickelback-sobbing-dull-rock fanboy. But for whoever that dares to sit the journey through with an open mind and letting the song unfold is multiple times rewarded. This is the standout track on Christ Killer in my humble opinion.

Up next is the title track that unwinds as a soundtrack to the beginning of a never before seen Spaghetti Western, complete with bongo drums and acoustic guitar. Clear visions of a wind-scorn and desolate little prairie town emerges on the retina; a lone writer emerges from the moon-lit horizon, slowly approaching. Over half way into the track the full orchestration kicks in with some über fuzzy steel-mounted riffs with swirling guitar leads soaring above, picking up pace, building towards the inevitable crescendo lying ahead, only to end in a fading of instruments and one final word: “done”. Hell yeah I’m done, almost like a replenishing meditation session in some Native American hut out in the desert.

The digital version of Christ Killer includes one final track, “Forever My Queen” that is a Pentagram cover. This song will however not be on the vinyl album but as the LP’s come with a download code, I find it relevant to mention this song in this context regardless and because it’s freckin’ belter.

On the final track, “Forever My Queen”, Merlin goes out with a bang. The track sets ahead at a galloping speed, bursting with stonery flames complete with Hendrixian wah-wah guitar works atop - all is in motion and moving towards stoner nirvana. Halfway through, the tempo lets up and slows down to give way for one of the heaviest riffs and most balls-out grooves of the entire album, before being brought to an almost halt leaving just enough room for a psychedelic mid-piece full of vibrant flowering colors to breathe. Again Merlin demonstrates how they are capable of seamlessly morph from a rock-solid stoner monster into a psychedelic excursion into LSD-soaked valleys. Utterly brilliant!

I recommend everyone ready to meander off the beaten musical track and with an appetite for slightly more demanding tunes to pick up the vinyl glove and accept the challenge that our good Merlin has thrown at us with Christ Killer. I for one am going to try and hunt down one of those treasures die hard LP’s that are going up for offer on Poisoned Mind Records BigCartel store later today.

Words by Niels Fuzz Bartholdy

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GROAK - Masticator (EP Review)

Release date: September 14th 2015. Label: Self Released Formats: DD

Masticator EP – Tracklisting

1.Trichobezoar 04:33

2.Despite the Gawker 07:21

3.Gastric Interruptions 07:23

4.Notebook 05:39

Band Members:

JH, BS, SM

Review:

Groak is a Sludge/Crust/Doom Metal Band from Leeds, UK and they've just released their heavy as fuck debut EP - Masticator

When I promoted this on the Outlaws Of The Sun Facebook Page I originally stated - “This is brutally heavy or heavily brutal” - I sill stand by those words as Groak's debut EP is filthy and I mean downright filthy. If you dig THOU then Groak will be the band for you.

From the heavy down-tuned riffs of opening song - Trichobezoar – this EP has the power to fuck-up your entire day as the guitars are down-tuned to hell. The vocals are punishing and brutal as they have enough power to drive you to insanity.. The atmosphere is one of violent despair as the mood stays bleak and remorseful through out.

Second track – Despite The Gawker – carries on the torturous doom and gloom atmospherics as the band speed things up slightly though the almost indecipherable vocals can be very distracting at times. I haven't a clue what is being said but it's the music that holds your attention.

The production on the EP varies throughout. Sometimes the production is superb and other times it's feels rather flat and that's a shame as if Groak had some proper production values then these guys would sound something special indeed. Groak can build upon that with future releases and I have a feeling they will. If you dig your Sludge/Doom Metal full of despair, anger and depressing riffs then check these guys out as  Groak are definitely worth your time.

Words by Steve Howe

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