CONAN - Revengeance (Album Review)

Release date: January 29th 2016. Label: Napalm Records. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Revengeance – Tracklisting

1.Throne of Fire - 04:31

2.Thunderhoof - 09:38

3.Wrath Gauntlet - 08:39

4.Revengeance - 06:10

5.Every Man Is an Enemy - 06:46

6.Earthenguard - 11:44

Band Members:

Jon Davis - guitar / vocals

Rich Lewis - drums

Chris Fielding - bass / vocals

Review:

Conan are back with what must be one of the most anticipated new albums slated for release this year. And without fucking about with long winded intro's let me tell you it's an absolute BEAST of a record.

There have been some changes in the ranks since 2014's bruising "Blood Eagle" which now leaves Jon Davis as the only original member of the band left standing. But this doesn't seemed to have effected Conan one little bit. In fact I would go as far as to say it's improved them. Revengeance is in my mind the best thing they have released to date which when you consider they have a back catalogue of EP's, albums and splits most bands would kill for is no small accomplishment.

So, things have changed within the ranks in the band, so how does this play out (pun intended) on the new record? This is still very much Conan. Everything you already love about them is present and correct. Slow gravity defying riffs, those now distinct armour piercing wails from Jon Davis and of course songs that bring to mind charging into the heart of every battle from Viking folklore.

But there's more.....

With the addition of Chris Fielding, Conan now have a dual vocal attack. The very different tones of both vocalists are used brilliantly and confidently throughout proceedings. Dual vocals seamlessly interlock with each other, and each vocalist takes the lead on a number of occasions and bounce of each other like this is what they've always done. Then there's the tempo changes. Whilst there's still plenty of "low and slow" moments there are also a few much quicker moments, the brilliant album opener "Throne Of Fire" and the title track in particular (which can be viewed here in case you've somehow missed it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KT143oJUUKU)

Also the sublime drumming from new drummer Rich Lewis (also of Intensive Square) has to be mentioned. He had pretty big shoes to fill, and fill them he does, in fact he might even need to go up a size. Throughout this record Conan treat us to six more battle anthems all dripping with a new found spite and intent that sees them cement their place at the forefront of the current Doom movement.

To quote The Poetic Edda....

A wayfarer should not walk unarmed,

But have his weapons to hand:

He knows not when he may need a spear,

Or what menace meet on the road.

Now armed with Revengeance Conan find themselves more than equipped for whatever they may meet on the road. Miss this at your peril.

Words by Simon Ross Williams

Thanks to Mona and Jon at Napalm Records for the promo. Revengeance to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl from Napalm Records on 29^th January 2016.

Links:

Official | Facebook

Avon - Mad Marco (Album Review)

Release date: February 24^th 2016. Label: Spira Records. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Mad Marco – Tracklisting

Fallen

Gotta Go

Mad Marco (El Torino)

Smash Em Down

I've Seen Her Face

I Wouldn't Mind

Yvonne The Avon Lady

Everyone For Themselves

Never Again

Bloodlike Rain

Band Members:

Alfredo Hernández

James Childs

Charles Pasarell

Review:

Avon has quite the Desert/Stoner Rock pedigree in their line-up. You have Alfredo Hernández (QOTSA, Kyuss), James Childs (Airbus, Lakota) and Charles Pasarell (Waxy, Lakota) forming this raw psych based power trio. Avon are about to release their debut album – Mad Marco. So what people can expect from this new combo. Well if you’re a fan of old school Desert/Stoner Rock with a hint of vintage Psychedelia then you’re going to have a huge amount of fun with this album.

These guys actually helped create some of the best and most memorable music from the Desert Rock/Stoner Rock scene over the last twenty years or so. These guys are seasoned musicians doing what they do. Cool desert riffs always sound good when done right. And that’s what Avon proves time and time again. Desert/Stoner Rock the way it’s meant to be played.

Opening track – Fallen – is a throwback to the golden era of Desert/Stoner Rock where lyrics were just as important as the riffs. It has a cool QOTSA vibe but played with a lo-fi edge. Avon makes you feel instantly at home by playing fast-paced riffs and high energy vocals to get you into Stoner Rock mood. The drumming is fantastic through out. Would you expect anything else with Alfredo Hernandez on drums. He’s the main driving force of this combo. His drumming gives these guys a hard rocking engine for Charles and James to create their riffs upon.

Second track – Gotta Go – opts for a more dirty stripped back approach though the Desert Rock sounds are still there for everyone to hear. The vocals have a slight garage rock feel but it’s still undeniably fun and shows you that Avon do offer something new. Loud, raw and psychedelic grooves with the guys creating one of the albums standout tracks.

Third track – Mad Marco – is perhaps where the guys start to create their own sound. Trippy psych vocals and haunting desert/stoner rock grooves with a slight grunge exterior. The production could of done with more volume but I have a feeling the guys wanted their music to sound vintage in some ways. It’s another stand-out track on the album perhaps my fave song on the album.

Fourth track – Smash Em Down – feels like a song QOTSA of old would have made back in the day. The vocals are superb as the band adds a classic rock feel with a sneering punk attitude. Its lo-fi and dirty but it works to the bands favour as the song feels it’s been recorded in an old abandoned warehouse of some sort. Don’t worry it still sounds fantastic.

Fifth track – I’ve Seen Her Face – is another trippy and majestic offering from Avon. Shades of classic sounding Psych Rock with a semi-acoustic guitar and Alfredo’s superb drumming show a different side to Avon. It’s perhaps Avon’s most personal song on the album as the lyrics can be quite emotional at times. The song has a soulful blues rock vibe towards the end.

Other great songs to check out are: No One But You, Yvonne The Avon Lady, Never Again and Bloodlike Rain prove Avon have created a stunning set of songs equally as good as the first half of the album. It sees the band create and explore more hazy Desert/Stoner Rock sounds with a real vintage quality. The production is handled superbly well through out. Mad Marco is a masterclass of Desert/Stoner Rock that will appeal to both old and new fans of the genres. It’s an album created for the Desert/Stoner Rock scene by some of the most highly influential people from the scene itself. What more could you possibly ask for.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to James Childs for the promo. Mad Marco will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl from Spira Records.

Links:

Official | Facebook 

No Laughing Matter - An Interview with Rob Hoey from LIMB

Today's guest is lead singer of one of the UK's best upcoming Sludge/Stoner Metal Bands – LIMB. They've released two albums (Self Titled Debut and last year's Terminal) both to critical acclaim from fans and critics alike.

I wanted to catch up with this dude for a seriously long time as he's also a hugely talented comedian as well. So it's my pleasure to be chatting to Rob Hoey.

Hi Rob. How are things with you today. Thanks for doing this interview.

Hi! Thanks for having me. I like what you've done with the place.

So why did you choose the name LIMB for your band. Any specific meaning.

We went through a few names. For comedy sake we were going to call ourselves 'Queem' and dress like Queen. Then we thought of 'Connect4' but of course these were utter nonsense. We genuinely toyed with 'Broken Thrones' for a tiny while but we had friends in Throne so that was quickly thrown out. Speaking of Throne, check out Julia's newest project 'Casual Nun' they are bloomin' excellent!! So Limb, not really! We just liked it. This long answer didn't have a great pay off but I do like to think of the name as meaning we're not part of the main tree or even a branch, we're attached but flapping about in the wind on the outskirts.

How did the band get together. Did you all know each other before forming the band.

Sam, Pat & Jodie knew each other so started jamming and put an ad out for a singer... I bet they couldn't believe their luck when I walked in. I bet they thought I was some sort of chubby Adonis.

How would you describe your music.

Glam + Doom = Gloom. It's a tricky one that isn't it

Your new album – Terminal – was released last year. It's received some great reviews. Did that surprise you the responses the album has received and LIMB's music in general.

When we were listening back to the initial mixes of Terminal in the studio we were all really pleased to have put a record together we knew we would be proud of regardless of the feedback. Any kind words said about it are always met with total pleasure (such as your good selves) and surprise. It's more surprising to me when you get reviews (good or bad) that are totally factually incorrect and lazy. Why would you bother doing something if you're not interested in nailing the basics? Anyhoo. Yes, we're really pleased that reviewers and listeners are enjoying it! Complete bonus.

Was Terminal a hard album to write and record for as it contains a different sound compared to your debut S/T album.

The writing process was actually pretty similar in terms of the process to the first album. The label gave us a deadline and we hammered it out until we had something (mostly) solid. The sound is definitely different to our first album because we changed drummers and they are very different players. Jodie was more a hard hitting trve kvlt doom smasher (check out her new band Gloomweaver) and Tom is a straight up badass rock drummer. I think what we were listening to together as a band changed too, we went from listening to lots of Weedeater and Goatsnake (and still do) to listening to The Sweet, Slade, Funkadelic, The Bar-Kays... Anything with sequins. The glam stomp stuck in a little and thus came the groove.

I was surprised you released an album so soon after your S/T album. About 18 months in total. Is that how quick LIMB always work. Get something out as quickly as you can.

Ha! Well that's just kind of circumstance. Jodie left just around the time we released our first album so we got Tom on board and up to speed and then only really managed to get one short promo tour with Black Moth in before it was obvious our sound had evolved. The label were keen to get that sound on record so we disappeared straight back into the studio to get our sound locked down. The rest as they say is Terminal (don't they?)

Looking back would you change anything about debut album.

No, not at all! It's all a learning curve and I still have a lot of love for that album. It also sums up completely where we were at that point. If you're going back and editing your diary entries, stop keeping a diary! We were just a little different at that point but the soul remains the same.

How hard is it being a band in today's world. What are the most difficult aspects in being in a band.

I think it’s all subjective isn’t it? I’m sure many will tell you that today it’s really hard in the biz and all that but I don’t see it, I don’t think it’s got any easier or harder to drive the length of the country for beer money! But that’s ok, we’re not doing it to be Justin Bieber are we. It’s not owning the roller-coaster that makes you happy, it’s the thrill of the ride!

What is the song-writing dynamic in the band. Is it a group collective or down to one individual.

It tends to start with Sam and Pat bringing riffs to the room and then we play around ideas all throwing in thoughts. It’s actually fairly organic. Lyrics wise, I’ll do a majority of the words and then bring them to Sam who is a lover of words and an actual doctor of English for thoughts and grammatical scrutiny! Sam Cooper B.A M.A PhD!

What's your verdict on the UK Sludge/Doom/Stoner Metal Scene. It seems bands from the UK Underground that I've interviewed recently have mixed feelings. Some say its' thriving and others saying the opposite. What's your own personal views on this. And if it is in decline how can we improve it.

Well, this is a biggie isn’t it. I’m not sure it’s in decline in any way but in the same way that ‘Grunge’ became a huge umbrella in the nineties that’s what we have with ‘doom’. Sadly, I personally feel like that weakens things slightly. Even though I don’t think it should matter so much about defining what kind of genre you slip in to, it seems to become trendy to say you’re part of something you perceive to be ‘in’ and

that leads to Creed, Puddle Of Mudd & Hoobastank calling themselves Post Grunge or whatever… I really hope that doesn’t become the case but there is definitely some poppy ‘doom’ starting to happen.

When I was younger Sludge and Doom were pretty different beasts, Sludge with it’s scooped guitar tones and compressed drum sounds (Crowbar, Fudge Tunnel, 3d House Of Beef & Acid Bath) and doom was slow and sprawling with blended JCM 800 stacks cranked to breaking and flappy drum sounds blasting out 2bpm 34 minute songs. Maybe I’m just a bit older now! Maybe it’s just all relative to where the genre is at in your time that sticks with you? Who knows.

I’m pretty sure Sabbath fans who were 16 when their first album came out would say the same about what I think. I don’t think it needs to be TRVE KVLT this and purest form that but there are definitely bands trying to fly the doom flag when it seems a little tenuous. How can you save it? God knows! I’m not in a position to really call us a doom band or a sludge band (although we have elements). I suppose this just happens with any wave of music, it peaks and troughs and just keeps flowing. As long as people are listening then it will keep being made I guess, that can only be a good thing.

What most people don't know about you is that you’re a stand-up comedian as well. And you've performed on TV, Edinburgh Fringe Festival and other comedy festivals with your bizarre and insane creations. How did you get involved with comedy.

Yeah, I’ve been performing for a long long time. The first time I was in Edinburgh was in 1999 or thereabouts! I do a fair amount of stand up, I have dates coming up at Glasgow Comedy Festival next across March 2016. Last year was fairly slow for my comedy as we were deep into album territory. Between the sketches, stand up and general online nonsense I’m always up to something. I got into comedy through going to drama school in my 20’s but I never really loved the theatre side of things. Instead it lead me down the path of utter nonsense and that’s what I’ve been doing ever since! My first job was in 1998 when I was on CITV’s ‘Chatterhappy Ponies’ so er… yeah.

Do you still perform comedy gigs. What inspires you when you're performing your shows and stand up routines.

Yeah! As I say, I have some shows coming up shortly and the agent I’m working with will be looking to book me a tour at some point across this year. I play out my comedy like the music we make, it’s pretty uncompromising in the sense that I just want to make something which will challenge you. It might be utter nonsense but I always try to get a sense of ‘why would this guy be doing this?’ as a rule.

How hard is it combining your stand-up comedy along with LIMB. It must be a very hard balancing act at times.

Only really in terms of finding time to do both. In terms of how they go side by side creatively they’re pretty easy to keep separate although my band mates may dispute that. It’s good to have an outlet for the anger and one for the nonsense, I’m really lucky in that sense.

Before you go, do you have anything to say to your fans.

I’m not sure I / Limb have ‘fans’ just friends and friends we haven’t met yet! Keep listening to all the music out there (without exception) so we have loads to talk about when we see you at the bar!!

Well Rob, thanks for doing this. All the best with your awesome work.
Same to you! This has been a pleasure.

Words by Steve Howe and Rob Hoey

Links:

Limb: Official | Facebook | BandCamp

Moon Tooth - Chromaparagon (Album Review)

Release date: February 05^th 2016. Label: Self Released. Format: CD/DD

Chromaparagon – Tracklisting

1.Queen Wolf

2.Offered Blood

3.Igneous

4.Little Witch

5.Bats in the Attic

6.Forgive Me Snake Ryder

7.Chroma

8.Vesuvius I

9.Vesuvius II

10.Belt Squeezer

11.Death and the Vibrant Architecture of Rebirth

12.White Stag

Band Members:

John Carbone – Vocals

Nick Lee – Guitar & Vocals

Ray Marte – Drums & Vocals

Vincent Romanelli – Bass

Review:

A lot can be said about Moon Tooth’s debut album Chromaparagon. Progressive, Complex, Challenging, Creative, Exhausting but perhaps the best way to describe it is – Chromaparagon is perhaps one of the most clever and devilishly fun debut albums I’ve heard in a while. It’s not going to be for everyone. If you’re a fan of Mastodon, At The Drive-In, The Mars Volta and perhaps even Dillinger Escape Plan then you will find much to enjoy here.

Moon Tooth deserves credit for trying something different with their music. Stoner, Doom, Sludge, Prog Rock, Math Rock and even Thrash makes an appearance on the album. Opening track – Queen Wolf – matches the ferocious heaviness of Mastodon with the quick witted intelligence of The Mars Volta but the band still create their own original sound. The vocals are one of the most impressive things on the album as lead vocalist shows his impressive vocal range – Prog Rock, Thrash and even a touch of alt-rock style vocals with a deep haunting edge. When the riffs change from Prog Rock to a more bombastic Sludge based groove then the album changes mood and direction.

The album has a schizophrenic approach as the band can’t decide if they want to be Prog Rock, Prog Sludge or a straight out experimental alt rock/metal band. Second track – Offered Blood – feels it could have came off from At The Drive-In classic album – Relationship Of Command. It has the same complex melodies and intriguing story that album has but as I’ve said before Moon Tooth make this their own sound. The song has quite a doomy outlook with different noises and riffs being played against each other.

Third track – Igneous – once again challenges the audience’s perception of what genres do these guys fall under. It’s a stunning track and one that shows off each member musical talents with the vocals almost being drowned out by the frantic riffs. You can start to hear traces of thrash based riffs in the background before the band adds almost sinister psych/blues rock noises.

I’ll be here all day if I try to explain every single song. Let’s just say the rest of the album carries on the experimental progressive nature of the first three songs as the band create heavier and sometimes disturbing moments of Prog Rock/Metal. Check out the fourth song – Little Witch – which is perhaps the most straight forward Hard Rock/Stoner Rock song on the album. It’s a nice contrast to the opening songs but the vocals take a sinister turn at different times and I never expected the Thin Lizzy dual guitar style melodies towards the end.

Other songs to check out are Forgive Me Snake Ryder, Vesuvius I, Vesuvius II and perhaps the standout track on the album – White Stag. White Stag is on for eleven minutes and Moon Tooth unleashes a sonic progressive masterpiece onto the world. It’s a complex and challenging listen as the band create moments of Mastodon style epic prog rock/metal madness with moments of sheer genius especially with the lyrics and vocal delivery.

Maybe the band has included a few too many songs but it doesn’t deter from the fact that Chromaparagon is a beautifully created and perhaps slightly demented album at the same time. As I said before this isn’t going to be to everyone’s taste. You need to invest a lot of time with this album as it’s full of great ideas that a few listens is never enough. If you have the time and patience for a challenging album such as this then you will be rewarded with a trippy as hell progressive experience. An outstanding debut album.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Moon Tooth and Curran Reynolds for the promo. Chromaparagon will be available to buy on CD/DD from February 5th 2016.

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp

Low Flying Hawks - Kōfuku (Album Review)

Release date: February 12th 2016. Label: Magnetic Eye Records. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Kōfuku – Tracklisting

1.Kōfuku

2.Now, Apocalypse

3.Seafloor Fathoms

4.Fading Sun

5.White Temple

6.Kokkai

7.Ruins

8.Wolves Within Wolves

9.Till the Night Meets the Light

10.Destruction Complete

Band Members:

EHA - Guitar, Bass, Lead Vocals

AAL - Guitar, Bass, Additional Vocals

Trevor Dunn - Bass

Dale Crover - Drums

Review:

Low Flying Hawks consists of two members called EHA (Guitar, Bass and Lead Vocals) and AAL (Guitar, Bass and Additional Vocals) who have been classed as Heavygaze. I don’t know what that term actually means but their debut album – Kōfuku – is loud, brash, and chaotic with an almost violent unpredictable nature. The band blend Doom, Noise, Sludge, Post-Metal, Post-Rock, Ambient Noise and Industrial sounds for one complex sounding album.

The album has been produced and engineered by Toshi Kasai (Big Business and The Melvins) and has guest appearances from Trevor Dunn (Mr Bungle) and Dale Crower (The Melvins). So you know the album is going to at least sound good and be heavy especially in the drumming and bass department.

The album starts off bleak and stays that way for the whole duration of the album. Distorted guitars, ambient noises and depressing vocals make this an album that will haunt you for a very long time. Opening track – Kōfuku – is a fifty second ambient track warning you of the upcoming dangers of the album. It sets up the scene with a slightly depressing outlook on life.

Second track – Now, Apocalypse – takes the industrial sounds of early NIN and adds a cold sludge/post-metal exterior with nightmarish noises and sounds merged into the background. The drumming adds a slightly claustrophobic vibe with the guitars being played at a slow pace.

Third track – Seafloor Fathoms – carries on the doom and gloom vibe as the music becomes ever more distorted and drowning in ambient noises. It’s a complex affair as the song has a lot going on especially with the vocals and almost industrial style sludge based riffs. Low Flying Hawks opt for a more psychedelic style of sounds near the end of the song. However distortion is the main weapon of choice for the band as the music is buried under a ton of it.

Fourth track – Fading Sun – is a more upbeat and hopeful song compared to the opening tracks as the band create an uplifting environment where the sludge/post-metal noises are matched with upbeat post-rock sounds and subtle vocals to match. It’s played at a deliberate slow pace which allows the band to create the albums finest riffs.

The remainder of the album carries on the same dark and twisted path with Low Flying Hawks creating many more great moments of distorted “Heavygaze” where the volume becomes ever so louder and darker as a result. Songs such as White Temple, Ruins and Destruction Complete are perhaps the standout songs on the album as these contain perhaps the heaviest and finest sounds on the album.

Low Flying Hawks have created an unsettling and nightmarish masterpiece that will appeal to fans of Neurosis, Pelican, Russian Circles, The Melvins and Nine Inch Nails. Kudos to Magnetic Eye Records for signing this band to their roster.

Whatever you do, buy this album when it’s released on CD/DD/Vinyl on Feb 12th 2016 via Magnetic Eye Records. You need this record in your life. No question…

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Richard Jones at Sheltered Life PR for the promo.

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp

Witchcraft - Nucleus (Album Review)

Release date: January 15^th 2016. Label: Nuclear Blast Records Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Nucleus – Tracklisting

01. Malstroem

02. Theory Of Consequence

03. The Outcast

04. Nucleus

05. An Exorcism Of Doubts

06. The Obsessed

07. To Transcend Bitterness

08. Helpless

09. Breakdown

Limited digipak CD & 2LP vinyl bonus track

10. Chasing Rainbows

Band Members:

Magnus Pelander – Vocals, Guitar

Tobias Anger – Bass

Rage Widerberg - Drums

Review:

Witchcraft harnesses the supernatural forces of this old earth, processes them through their cantabile mind and delivers a super sonic arrangement of thaumaturigal divination. What does that mean? It means you are on a collision course with a hypersonic meteor, speed balling through the grip of the mundane, headed for landing on your doorstep in the shape of a prismatic stone covered with crystals of sound. If that still doesn’t make sense, just clear a path for its touch down because this quite an arrival. If ‘Legend” turned your head, ‘Nucleus’ will spin your head completely around, exorcist style.

This album showcases the band as more primal amped and ‘raw fish’ wired, which is a different approach compared to certain aspects of their previous releases. Magnus has strapped his tongue into the electric chair, energizing his vocals with a bolt of lightning, which results in flying sparks all over the album, a defining jolt of electro-convulsive therapy. Remember when Hetfield first sang a ballad? Well this is the reverse, Magnus putting an old familiar ‘Dead End’ anger in with a sense of new found urgency and succeeding on a new level of passion. Pure awesomeness.

This band has already proved that they can write a catchy tune, and don’t worry for this album contains said tunes, however a more powerful strength has emerged, evidenced by the presence of more than just one noteworthy selection that is extended in duration and polyphonic in compositional diversity. These opuses are proof of a mature band not afraid of widening the solid base of their original music by broadening their melodies on a daring flight towards new and darker horizons.

This is a band not satisfied with the stagnant of the tried and true for they could easily survive on their established and successful sound. They don't play by old rules for they have access to a cerebral pipeline that is rich with imagination. Their cleromantic toolbox contains cargo in secret compartments, all rooted in an obsession with art, burgeoning with bloody witchcraft manifestation. It is the bravery of exploring new terrain that has shown the absolute radiance of an already brilliant band. This is a band, who even after this release, will be far from bankrupt in novel ideas in the future. As for you, the listener, many returns will serve the dual purpose of listening for pleasure of favorite parts and experiencing the unnoticed sounds of other details you missed the previous spins around, thus making it hard for you to shelve this album or stray from this band.

The classic era sound has survived but with an additional and most important distinction, a reflection of something larger, which is the expression of greater truth over the limits by a band of high priests through their collection of songs provided in this hymnal record. They have provided a generous, marvelous and unforgettable gift and it is your job to find out what it means to you.

This album is psychonomic for the avant garde and is essential for the receptive mind. Take the dare, enter the circle and transform your affinity for gloom. Now for the tunes…

Malstroem- this tune starts off with an acoustic guitar and the sounds of a flute, but this is only the forerunner to the chugs of a real pounder that lengthens its bones and strengthens its sinew as progression is documented in audible distorted beauty. Pure palmistry is shown through on the guitarist’s knuckle bones and the attached movements of fingers on the fretboard, not unlike a planchette moving across a Ouija board, with a story to be told. This song, clocking in over 8 minutes in length, has it all..glacier sized riffs of gloom, bombastic drums of doom and haunting phrases dispensed Magnus style.

The next two songs, ‘Theory of Consequence’ and ‘The Outcast’ may never see regular rotation on corporate rock radio; they may be mandated to only underground college stations or your candlelit bedroom, this is a shame and quite possibly the symbol of patent apprehension immersed in senseless stupidity. ‘Theory Of Consequence’ is a heavy song with distorted riffs, trills and a hook made for a large squalus trolled for on a sea of uncertainty aboard a paper canoe. ‘The Outcast’ is the perfect tune; short and sweet, like a magical charm with irresistible pull. A thaumaturgic classic. These songs are catchy and ballsy tracks, however I don't know if all folks are open to the subject matter, the uncommon instrument flare-ups or the overall difference in musical expression.

Nucleus-This song is an album's worth of pleasure and alone is worthy of the purchase price. It is time to observe a heap conjured with bad medicine emerge out of the circle you have poured with the dust made from crushed seahorses. This is an epic song full of enchantment, incantation and wizardry that lead one to ecstasy through vocal spells and musical sorcery. You will know from the first listen why this is the name of the album. This could be the title track to a vintage horror movie, which has been hidden under the cobwebs of a many years now defunct movie house.

An Exorcism Of Doubts- this song alternates between certain heaviness, well-placed vibrations and softer strums that create a state of suspended transcendence. It weaves in and out, like a serpent in the dark. No doubt this is a great tune. A slowed down card trick that gains momentum and is ultimately rendered with the sleight of hand associated with legendary legerdemain.

The Obsessed-this is an upbeat groover with deliberate plateaus of distorted sound. This track may suffer the same unavoidable fate of previous tunes because of the inexperienced fortune tellers that only care about what the people want to hear and not what they actually need to hear, as they dine in these times of drunken satiation on the over abundance of bottled bands that contain mostly bubbles. One good belch and onto the opening of another empty calorie wonder with a flashy name.

To Transcend Bitterness- Magnus' vocals are like calcified drippings that create stalactites in the dark caverns of your mind. He is able to transform his voice as appropriate to the chosen topics. The band accent the vocal passages with suitable combinations of solid and shrill instrumentation, resulting in another huge song.

Helpless-this track is a slow, plodding metal song constructed with crunching riffage, soft acoustic guitar, trickles of flute and a solo that cuts like a filet knife on soft under belly. Magnus belts it out like Viking on a heroic fire rant. A bonafide fade to doom classic.

Breakdown- This venture is a long and brilliant song that pushes this band into a professional world of complex song-writing and entranced story telling. Instruments and vocals are intellectually used to convey a double bind helix that spirals downward into the schizophrenic path of madness. These are the sounds of suffering, mental breakdown, black malady, seductive witches, neurotic poetry and the possible questions of being reborn with the knowledge that you may be sane in a world full of crazies. The first half of this masterpiece is slow picking orchestration, with a percussive device, guitar thrums, distorted background flailing and Magnus’ choral cleverness. The second half of this song slogs along with thick distortion as it drags you through the collapse of mind with Magnus’ emotional delivery faithfully documenting the acceptance of not so textbook insanity. If there is a rebirth, it will be full of pain and secondary freedom, as all births seem to be a delivery of some kind.

Chasing Rainbows- this is a final song of tasty riffs, singing with a clasp, all made complete with pewter feedback and a guitar/flute mutagen. There is also lesson being taught as a dividend to the aural enjoyment.

Witchcraft falls into the realm of great album writers, in which the realization of an entire album is an encompassing auditory experience. This is no guilded lily, it is a sunflower in full bloom, trimmed with golden gossamer lace.

Witchcraft is the horde of lizard kings who help us understand the archetypal power of the rainbow through their chameleonic musical prism.

So, turn the dial up and allow the brain to simmer in the infused creative juices. Soon you will realize you are being cooked alive, but did you ever imagine you would taste so good? It is time for your mind to come alive through the magic of music and realize the immortality of Witchcraft.

Words by Nick Palmisano

Links:

Facebook| Twitter

Rise At Dawn!!! - An Interview with SLABDRAGGER

Has it been 6 years since today's guests released their critically acclaimed debut album – Regress. Which has became a firm favourite of the UK Sludge/Stoner Metal scene. Now in 2016 they're about to release their incredible 2^nd album – Rise Of The Dawncrusher.

The album is heavy as the name suggests and has the potential to be classed as one of the best records of the year. It's seriously that great but it's an album that the band had an almighty struggle to record which they explain in this interview.

It's my pleasure to be interviewing SLABDRAGGER....

Hi guys. How are things with you today. Thanks for doing this interview.

Yusuf: No worries, thanks.

Sam: All good, thank you for interviewing us!

So why did you choose the name SLABDRAGGER for your band. Any specific meaning as I always wanted to know this.

Y: Sam came up with the name sometime before the band was formed. He was recording a band and the vocalist did this heavy growl that sounded like concrete being dragged along the ground. He then named that vocal, calling it a 'Slabdragger'. Then when we formed later on, we decided to use it because it sounded so ridiculous.

How did the band get together. Did you all know each other before forming the band.

Y: We did know each other before from local bands and general circles of friends. We all played in other bands and gigged together previously. Sam wrote and recorded a demo for what became Splice The Mainbrace on Regress. He played it to me and our original drummer Matt and asked us if we wanted to form a sludge/doom band. We agreed and the rest is history.

How would you describe your music. Apart from it being pure fucking heavy.

Y: Pure cunting heavy?

S: Progressive doom sludge fusion metal with elements of hardcore punk and a slight death metal tinge. And stuff. Or something.

Your new album – Rise of The Dawncrusher – is fucking incredible. Beyond heavy but very melodic at the same time. It's finally being released after years of being mentioned. Can you tell people why the delay with the release of the record.

Y: Thanks a lot. We started writing the first song of the record in 2012. To cut a very long story short here is a list of events that happened: drummer left, new drummer joined and wrote album with us, we attempt to record, computer breaks, we hire new equipment and record album, new drummer leaves, new(nham) drummer joins, we record overdubs and play shows, Sam's lung collapses, Sam gets better, we finish recording, we mix it, we go insane mixing it, we get it mastered, we have artwork problems delaying it by 5 months, we submit album to Holy Roar.

This whole experience lasted 3 and a 1/2 years.

S: I think Yusuf nailed it with that timeline.

I bet your beyond excited waiting for the world to hear this record. What can people expect from the album.

Y: A heavy, riff filled, doom laden space adventure.

S: A twisting and brutal, melodically crushing epic of astrosludge metal-rock

Was Rise Of The Dawncrusher a hard album to write and record for as it's a very complex sounding album especially on tracks such as Shrine of Debauchery and Implosion Rites.

Y: We took our time writing it, that's for sure. We never rush our writing and we just let it come out naturally. We've always got so many ideas at any given time, it's just about putting them together in a way that makes us excited about it.

S: Hard to write, not really, Yusuf and I take some almost generic riff and form and twist them until we both look at each other with a grimace. Then we know its ready so we lay it down and expand upon that until a song feels complete, adding twists and turns where we see fit. The lyrics were all written after the music was fully complete and sequenced, written in chronological order like a book; The first song is the start of the story, the last song is the end. Hard to record, for me at least, yes, a bit. I even had to coat the ends of my fingers in superglue in order to nail a riff properly without blisters bursting all over my fretboard. I was also worried my vocals wouldn't be up to par after surgery but it worked out well and I think I did some of the best sounding vocal takes I have ever done.

It's been 6 years since your debut album Regress was released. Where it's not considered a classic within the UK Sludge/Stoner Metal scene. Have you noticed this yourselves people labeling the album as such.

Y: I've heard people say it's one of their favourite albums which is extremely flattering. I never thought I'd ever hear anyone say that. It was our first album and for a first album it was received way more positively than I could have imagined, which I am very grateful for.

S: Yeah it's kinda of weird but entirely cool as fuck that so many people love it, it's definitely a beautiful thing

Looking back would you change anything about Regress.

Y: I don't think I would change anything to be honest. Like with any record you make, you could work on it forever and still not be satisfied. One of the hardest parts about making a record is knowing when to put it to bed and put it out to the world. I see Regress as the beginning of this band and I'm glad it came out how it did.

S: I had about 50 mental breakdowns recording and mixing that thing. I'm not even going to say anything here. Haha

Your new album is very different to Regress with you guys focusing on more progressive riffs and melodies.

Y: We like to try new things and keep the riffs and structures interesting. It's easy to play the same riff over and over again for the sake of catharsis. There is nothing wrong with that at all but it gets to a point you have to start challenging your formula to give birth to something new. But at the same time, we like to keep our core sound loud and clear. We got proggy in places as we knew we were making a concept record with an intricate story line, so wrote it with these intricacies in mind.

S: It's a continuation of our original influences, we've just touched on stuff with a slightly different approach and had more ideas regarding new sounds we could incorporate without compromising our original style. More heavy and more weird but still Slabdragger.

Was recording the album a different experience to Regress. Did you do anything differently when recording the new album.

Y: We used more amps, had some new equipment. We used a synth and made our own weird spacey sound effects on a Korg MS 10. Obviously, we also had a different drummer. And also I think we approached the vocals differently and experimented more. There is more 'clean' singing but without compromising the brutal vocals as well. I tried a few different voices as I sort of wanted to portray characters. It was a really fun record to make.

S: Yeah this time we tracked the guitar, bass and drums live in the same room without headphones and literally recorded overdubs over that live foundation, keeping all the previous takes. We used our own amps for the initial takes but the 5 guitar overdubs were done with various blends of 3 different Matamp heads and an extra bass track through a 1970's Orange head. As Yusuf said we also did some synth layers using Korg stuff, MS10 and Monotron Delay and some synth app on Yusuf's phone. We had some electronics/noise on 'Regress' but this time we experimented with adding sweeps and textures over the music and I even did a synth solo on the last track.

The album is being released via Holy Roar Records. How did you hook up with them.

Y: Alex from Holy Roar released Regress after Sam sent him a demo of Iron Vulture. He liked it and said if we made a record, he would put it out on Holy Roar. We made it and he put it out! He agreed to put out our second record if we wanted to and so continues our relationship with Holy Roar Records. It's a great label with some awesome bands.

S: What Yusuf said. Holy Roar is awesome and Alex has always been great to us. They put out a few bands I recorded and I knew they took pride in the packaging of their releases which I think is a very important aspect of an album. The fact they put out loads of awesome looking vinyl really grabbed me and made me want to contact them. Luckily they were pretty much interested straight away and Alex loved it from the get go. It's great being on a label with such a diverse amount of artists too.

How hard is it being a band in today's world. What are the most difficult aspects in being in a band.

Y: Finding the right balance of time, money, energy, resources and motivation is a very big task in this day and age. I feel very lucky as we don't have to spend money on studio time and rehearsals as that is all done at Sam's studio, The Cro's Nest. Other bands don't have this advantage. There's barely any money in it, so if that's what you are primarily after, you will find it very hard.

S: Keeping on top of everything I'd say. Sorting out shows and stuff and making sure everything's running properly can be a bit daunting when our band does things DIY as fuck and doesn't rely on management, agents or PR people. Playing in the band is easy. All the shit that surrounds it is hard but you have to endure that, it's a given. At the end of the day, Jeremy, we do this because we love it and love always has its ups and downs but you can't let the downs effect you because, well, heavy metal.

What is the song-writing dynamic in the band. Is it a group collective or down to one individual.

Y: Sam and I both write the riffs and lyrics, pretty much. Or I'll write some lyrics and Sam and I will edit them to fit together. It's pretty much a collective working. Someone comes in with an idea and we all feel it out to see what works and what doesn't.

S: We all have input. Any one of us may come up with a whole song but we all shape and mould them all until we're all happy. Sometimes Yusuf and I play with weird musical concepts, for instance using a haiku structure for lyrics like in the verses in 'Iron Vulture' or playing a pattern based on a randomly chosen number or something. We can play around so we do.

Will you be touring this record heavily this year. I know you have an upcoming tour with OHHMS happening soon. What can people expect from that tour.

Y: More of the same from the last tour. Us and OHHMS smashing through the UK, going batshit crazy.

S: Half the length but double the concentration. A 3 day tumult.

Before you go, do you have anything to say to your fans.

Y: If you keep coming, we'll keep playing. Thanks for the support

S: Skate and destroy.

Well guys, thanks for doing this. All the best with the new album as its' a brilliant album.

Y: Thank you very much!

S: Peace!

Words by Steve Howe and SLABDRAGGER

Thanks to Alex at Holy Roar Records for arranging this interview. Thanks to Yusuf and Sam from the band for talking to me. Rise Of The Dawncrusher will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl from February 26^th 2016 via Holy Roar Records.

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