Free Metal Monday: Haze Daze 4/20 EP

Ripple Music
2016

This is the second Free Metal Monday feature of the day and even though it is short (length-wise) this free digital sampler from the wonderful folks over at Ripple Musicit is jam-packed with good music from some great HEAVY rock bands! "Haze Daze 4/20 EP" features one song each from the bands Foghound, Gozu, and The Judge and all three of these cool rock bands have releases that are due out this summer on Ripple Music. Of the three Gozu is probably my favorite, but really you can't go wrong with any of the bands that appear of this highly-recommend digital EP. You can find "Haze Daze 4/20 EP" by heading here and if Ripple Music happens to read this then by all means PLEASE contact me about covering your forthcoming releases! Simply put, "Haze Daze 4/20 EP" is the kind of rock that gets right to me and makes me want to get the fuck down!!!! I'm just saying....

Saturday Single: Sky Valley Mistress-Hell Ain't Got Your Hound

High Roller Records
2016

Darwen, UK act Sky Valley Mistress are "the best thing you've never heard.". That was their words long before I discovered them, but now that I've heard this f**king awesome band for myself I can't help but wholeheartedly agree! Lead by the ferocious Kayley "Hell Kitten" Davies, Sky Valley Mistress is a four-piece HEAVY rock and roll/blues rock band that takes it's cues from the likes of Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. Actually, it's more the latter than the former, but either way this is some especially tasty stuff with "Hell Ain't Got Your Hound" serving up fantastic vocals and stone cold-wicked grooves thanks to guitarist Squire! Bassist Russell "Russell" Russell (huh?) and drummer Maxwell Harvey William Newsome III (that's a mouthful!) round this bluesy, doom-laden foursome out and there is additional music available on the group's bandcamp page besides this simply sick single. 

Fans of female-fronted doom rock and heavy rock/blues rock would do well to check this lot out as this really is some of the best stuff out there! How this band has kept hidden for this long I will never know, but now that they are signed to High Roller Records it's time for the world to step up and acknowledge the greatness that is Sky Valley Mistress!

Psychedelic Witchcraft-"Set Me Free" (Single)

Twin Earth Records
2015

Just released last week (or Wednesday, October 7th to be precise!),  "Set Me Free" is a hot new single from Italy's one and only occult rock band, Psychedelic Witchcraft. The vision of lead singer/guitarist Virginia Monti (who I had the sincere pleasure of interviewing back in May of this year!), Psychedelic Witchcraft takes it's cue from the 70's rock scene where the likes of Coven, Black Sabbath, Iron Butterfly, Jefferson Airplane, and Cream sit hand in hand in spiritual harmony. For the absolutely fetching Virginia Monti (aka Virgin Witch) there's also a passion shared for Mario Bava, Lucio Fulci, Dario Argento, and Jess Franco and with that key piece of information in hand it's a bit easier to understand where the music's vibe comes from if you happen to be new to the band. Backed by the impressive number "Wicked Dream", "Set Me Free" serves as the follow-up to "Black Magic Man" and features a line-up of Virginia Monti (vox), Jacopo Fallai (guitar), Vanni (bass), and Daniele Parrella (drums). For this up-and-coming Italian rock act this two-track release shows a nice amount of growth and maturity and as somehow who has been a fan of Virginia Monti and Psychedelic Witchcraft since first hearing "Black Magic Man" it's wonderful to hear that kind of improvement in such a short amount of time. Naturally that goes a long way towards pointing out Virginia's dedication to her craft. With a full-length album planned for sometime down the road, "Set Me Free" shows you what can be accomplished when you put all of your heart and soul into a project and with that in mind I congratulate Psychedelic Witchcraft's amazing front-lady! As far as the who, want, when and where of this single? Well, we tackled the who (line-up) so let's address those other three. Recorded and engineered at Gold studio 63 Rome by Gabriele Romano, "Set Me Free" (the song) sounds a lot like a female-fronted Black Sabbath circa 1970! In no way is that a bad thing, but it still is what it is and there's no reason to not point it out. That being the case and all, "Set Me Free" still rules and this Italian band's vintage sound does wonders for one's psyche! And speaking of one's psyche (or calming the savage beast inside!), "Wicked Dream" moves right into your soul and then makes itself right at home! Side two of this single finds Psychedelic Witchcraft coming into their own in a BIG WAY and it is glorious! With the sinister "Wicked Dream" you get the sensation that it's all been leading up to this moment and that Virginia has been saving the best for last!!! Falling somewhere between doom metal and garage rock, "Wicked Dreams" leaves you with all kinds of wicked thoughts as it puts a spell on you that is damn near impossible to shake!!!! It's because of musical moments like "Wicked Dreams" that Psychedelic Witchcraft has quickly become one of my all-time favorite acts and I can't help but wish that this sinfully delightful band will one day tour my part of America! Until that fateful day happens I'm going to continue singing the praises of  Psychedelic Witchcraft
and I will keep on encouraging everyone that I know to check out this awesome act!

Electric Citizen-Sateen

RidingEasy Records
2014


We're turning the clock back to early 2014 for this release as somehow/someway I missed out on it the first time around. Electric Citizen hail from Cincinnati, Ohio and this album here (the band's full-length debut) seemed to randomly pop up on numerous suggestion posts all at once. All of which begs the question. Was it really random or some form of divine intervention? After all Electric Citizen is some fine (female-fronted) heavy rock/doom and the cleverly-titled "Sateen" features all kinds of wonderfully wicked & weird psychedelic moments! Laura Dolan leads this four-piece band and her retro style of singing perfectly suits this band's fuzzy throwback sound. On guitar you have Ross Dolan with Nick Vogelpohl (bass) and Nate Wagner (drums) rounding out the album's line-up. These days it looks as if Randy Proctor is handling the bass duties, but either way it doesn't take away from the heavy rocking goodness of this nine-track* album. Highly-recommend all around, "Sateen" is one of those rare gems that hits all the right notes and leaves you with a lasting smile. If you are into groovy doom rock/heavy garage rock you are going to want to give this one a try!

*The CD I have features nine tacks while the digital download features ten.

Kreyskull-Tower Witch

Inverse Records
2014

Kreyskull is four-piece band from the south-east parts of Finland that is made up of ex-members of Demonic Death Judge, Kaihoro and Total Devastation. "Tower Witch" is the band's sophomore album and it serves as the follow-up to 2012's "Year of the Octopus". With a line-up that features Kari A. Killgast on lead vocals, Saku Hakuli on guitars, Timo "Ringo" Karvonen on bass and Timo Karvonen on drums this "heavy doom rock" band from the Kymi-Poitsila area defies easy explanation. On one end influences for this 70's-influesed hard rock/heavy metal band range from Black Sabbath/Trouble to Rush with even the sounds of ZZ Top getting in on the act! On the other end of the spectrum you've got flashes of psychedelic rock and jazz seeping into the mix with some groove and stoner rock riffs applied here and there as finishing touch-ups. Brawny and robust lead vocals and great, riff-happy and garage rock-worthy guitar solos add the requisite cherry to the top of this delicious treat and while it all might sound incredibly odd on paper (and lord oh mighty does it ever!) it's an entirely different matter all together when you hear the enthralling music of Kreyskull in the flesh! More fun and explosive than a barrel full of dynamite-wielding monkeys, "Tower Witch" is a righteously fun time with this very cool & slick Finnish four-piece offering up a sparkling fresh/buzz-worthy take on seventies-era hard rock & rock and roll! "Tower Witch" is easily one of 2014's most engaging LPs and it's one of those albums that I recommend with giddy schoolboy enthusiasm! For more information on Kreyskull be sure to head either here: https://www.facebook.com/kreyskull or here: www.inverse.fi

 

Lonely Kamel-Shit City

Napalm Records
2014

Not to be confused with "Sin City", "Shit City" is the new album and destination for Norway's Lonely Kamel. Unlike the album title though "Shit City" is anything but shitty! On album number four Lonely Kamel (sporting one of the coolest monikers out there!) take out rolling paper and have one hell of a "smoke em' if you got 'em lads!" jam feast where "traditional" (as if there is such a thing!) stoner rock get's buried up to it's head before being saturated with the sounds of the seventies. That could mean seventies hard rock as much as it could mean psychedelic rock, doom metal or even raw punk as opener/title cut "Shit City" dictates. Seeing as it's all done in good taste(!) it's all the same in the end right? Yeah, why not. As for the band goes? Let's see you've got Thomas Brenna on vocals & guitar, Lukas Paulsen on guitar & backing vocals, Stian Helle on bass and Espen Nesset drums. And speaking of the band (or at least their lead singer/guitarist), in regards to their fourth effort (jokingly) front-man/ringleader Thomas Brenna say's of "We wanted this record as simple and cheap as possible record". If that's the case then I'd wrangle up these Norwegian desert warriors and find out how they did so much with so little as "Shit City" makes for one bad ass listen! These Norwegians rockers have a rough overcoat that hides some legit talent and as one wonders along the dirty and dusty trails of "Sin City" there is plenty of breathtaking sights to take in! Between the nine tracks offered here you'll partake of not only stoner rock and seventies-infused hard rock (as well as the other tempting treats mentioned previously!), but how about some blues to serve as the night's last round? It's all there and it's been wrapped up nice and neat so that anyone and everyone can partake of the festivities! Thankfully for those folks who are living in the U.S. and/or Canada won't have to wait too long to enjoy all the frills and thrills associated with this new friendship as "Shit City" is due to arrive here around the ninth of September.  As someone who is new to the party that is Lonely Kamel I can honestly say that this upcoming release is a stoner rock smorgasbord and one that I plan to lean-on the next time a "chill out" moment is called for!

https://www.facebook.com/lonelykamel

Pÿlon-Homo Homini Lupus

Roxx Records
2014

Now in their 12th year together, with (current) vocalist/guitarist Matt Brand and (former) drummer Tinu Christen having first hand-crafted the band's firm foundation together back in 2002, Switzerland’s Pÿlon are now on album number six with the excellent "Homo Homini Lupus". Still (in spite of such an impressive back-catalog which also features two splits with Painwork and My Silent Wake) it was only last year's "The Harrowing Of Hell" (initially released in 2012 on vinyl and in 2013 on CD as a collaborative effort between Roxx Records and Quam Libet Records) that served as my introduction to Pÿlon and their classic take on doom metal. Ever since that divinely inspired moment I've found myself at the mercy of this band's well-honed style and crafty delivery! On "The Harrowing Of Hell" (which, if you are not at all familiar with, you can discover by way of my 2013 review posted below!) the band, now featuring a line-up of vocalist/guitarist Matt Brand, guitarist Oliver Schneider (Mink Security), bass guitarist Reto Hardmeier (Punish, ex-Aliengates) and drummer Beni Mayer, perfectly balanced original content with a creative re-imaging of the well-known Black Sabbath number, "Paranoid". On "Homo Homini Lupus" (an album that marks another turning point for this Swish collective!) the band once more blends original content with a unique cover track. This time around the band truly surprises the listener with their take on Slayer's "South of Heaven"! Featuring guest musician Tim Gaines (Stryper) on bass, "South of Heaven", or (if you will) this band's choice to cover such a classic thrash number,  finally answers a question that I have pondered since I first bought Slayer's fourth album back in 1989 or 1990*. That question was "What would it sound like to have a Christian metal act cover a song that features such strong apocalyptic imagery?". Well, now I know. It sounds AMAZING! But, here's the real deal about this album. The original material here is absolutely incredible! As briefly touched upon above, "Homo Homini Lupus" moves the band into new territories previously only hinted at on "The Harrowing Of Hell" with the original compositions "Crowned", "Al-Hahar" (featuring a verse in Modern Hebrew!) and the album's first single, "Saligia", which can be previewed here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-xWNxdKLiQ), taking doom in a direction quite similar to a certain Malta-based outfit. And incidentally that particular band donated the use of their lead singer for this upcoming full-length endeavor from Pÿlon! That's right, I'm talking about another one of my favorite doom bands in Nomad Son and on "Homo Homini Lupus" the vocal talents of Jordan Cutajar are put to good use with each and everyone of the original compositions here coming across as nothing short of brilliant! All six of Pÿlon new tracks are exquisite in their own right, blending doom rock and doom metal fundamentals with clever arrangements and intelligent, thought-provoking/soul searching lyrics, but with the addition of Nomad Son's hugely talented Jordan Cutajar such numbers (especially the later half of the new tracks like "Saligia", "Is se donnent du mal", "Crucifer" and "The Curse of Eden") take on a life of their own making "Homo Homini Lupus" an absolute must for doom connoisseurs! Prior to this posting I actually mentioned to the fine folks at Roxx Records how heavenly I found this release as that's how griping Pÿlon's latest is! Obviously the Nomad Son connection and the Slayer cover alone will draw in plenty of curious onlookers, but as a whole this really is masterful work! If only I could share more with you, but sadly you'll just have to wait until June to experience it for yourself. As a final note there is a special package available to the first 100 pre-orders of this exception album. For a limited time all pre-orders (well, at least the first 100!) will come with an exclusive lithograph hand signed by all of the members of Pÿlon! Not only is that a neat idea, but it will most assuredly become a sought-after collector's item down the road! Why wait then? Find out more at:  www.roxxproductions.com

Link to Pÿlon "The Harrowing Of Hell" review:
  
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2013/05/pylon-harrowing-of-hell.html

* My memory fades as I grow older and I no longer remember exactly what year it was that I first bought this album on cassette tape.

Solar Halos-Solar Halos

Devouter Records
2014

Chapel Hill's music scene never ceases to amaze me. From punk and hardcore to alternative/college rock (and yes, even heavy metal!) this is one area of America that has given us more great music then you could ever (reasonably) expect to work your way through! It's like you could just shake the trees there or something and cool bands would just fall off like leaves! I could easily devout a week's worth or articles on Chapel Hill's music scene and it wouldn't even begin to scratch the surface of the amazing talent that has come from there! And now we have the band Solar Halos which is made up of current and former members of  Horseback, Caltrop, Fin Fang Foom, and The Curtains of Night. On their soon to released debut album (due out later in January in three different formats-digital, CD and vinyl!) this North Carolina 3-piece effortlessly draws the listener in with their mix of heavy rock, fuzzed-out doom and (melodic) stoner rock all while tiptoeing between the light and dark! Nora Rogers, who handles vocals and guitars, is easily a highlight here as her voice offers the listener equal parts enchantment and dread. With Eddie Sanchez on bass and vocals and John Crouch on drums this is much more then just the latest & greatest band to rock it's way out of Chapel Hill scene. In Solar Halos we find a band that balances heavier riffs with softer drumming and on their debut release, which features 6 tracks that (collectively) total 39 minutes and 39 seconds, the band works hard at giving the listener challenging music that is still easily digestible. When Solar Halos works it's magic just right they achieve the almost impossible by offering up contrasting tones that swirl in and out in perfect sync while still being firmly rooted in natural, garage-approved rock. For fans of heavy, stoner rock and roll (psychedelic doom-style) it won't get much better then this 3-piece or their self-titled debut and yes, I'd like to think that this is one album that would defiantly benefit from have it's fuzzy warm sound laid down on vinyl!

Seremonia-Ihminen

Svart Records
2013

Talk about perfect timing folks. Finland's Seremonia will be releasing their second full-length album, "Ihminen" (Finnish for "human"), just in time for Halloween!  All of you ghouls and goblins should appreciate that fact and embrace this release with open arms. Instead of being candy for the kiddos this Halloween treat is for all the grow-ups who have outgrown the costumes, but still long to celebrate All Hallows' Eve. What makes this album such a treat? Let's take a magic carpet ride with this female-fronted band and find out. Seremonia (Finnish for "ceremony") rely on the unearthly combination of (heavy) psychedelic rock (late 60's/early 70's style), prog rock, doom metal and proto-punk to do the "talking" as their uniquely-flavored rock is sung entirely in their native language! That need not be a problem though as evident on "Ihminen". The lead vocals of Noora Federley give the band a haunting and slightly ghoulish quality. Hence the Halloween association. But, to peg them as just a "seasonal" band would be a wicked crime as this band's creepy brand of psychedelic rock is easily something to be enjoyed all year long!  Now, the group's lead vocalist Noora Federley is cool and all (she has more of a raw, real garage rock and roll style going on) it's doubtful she could sell such acid-soaked rock all by herself. That's where a skilled band comes into play. You have Teemu Markkula who handles it all (or so it seems). He plays electric and acoustic guitars, delivers the goods thanks to his use of the synthesizer and (finally) provides backing vocals as well! That sounds like a lot right? Well, the guys that back up Noora are as good as they come! In addition to Teemu Markkula you also have Ville Pirinen (electric guitars, synthesizer and backing vocals), Erno Taipale (drums, flute and guitar) and last, but certainly not least, Ilkka Vekka  (bass and synthesizer). All of these fine gentlemen, with maybe the exception being Teemu Markkula, are veteran heavy metal musicians. The thing is the list (of who's who and where they played before this band and where they are also currently playing) is way too long to type up! As such I'll just leave that part as homework. If you are really curious just hit up the Metal Archives and they'll have all the info you need (and then some) as it's all spelled out there. Meanwhile this band, and their often fuzzy delivery, just rocks on and on and on and on. That's a huge amount of rocking I know, but that's the one thing you'll definitely take away from this Finnish group. They know how to keep things rocking even if the music throws in the occasional curve balls like Erno's spacey flute parts. Why it is that I always think of Jethro Tull, or more specifically Ian Anderson, when I hear flutes in rock music I do not know. Either way the flute playing here is cool while also different. It fits their style though so Seremonia knows how to make it work just like the rest of their instruments. Back to the album we should, or really must, go and it's worth mentioning  that after it's all said and done you might walk away from this album a bit hazy from all the smoke (if you know what I mean) and lost since your concepts of space and time have been thrown to the curb! First of all smoke-engulfed acid rock does that, but introducing some slightly ghoulish doom to the mix results in a serious head rush! On one hand Seremonia are one of those bands where it feels like you're having a flashback through space and time. That's cool and all, but what's funny is that while this same music invokes another time and what not it also has enough of a modern quality that it never feels as if it's out of place on today's stage. So, while you explore a band that is obsessed with the sounds of acid rook and 70's doom, which this band has down pat, you can simultaneously add this album to your upcoming Halloween playlist and make your party a serious happening since this album also comes packed with some fresh new rock riffs!  Everything about this band and album I love. And yes, that includes the skeleton on the cover which reminds me of the great Mexican rudo La Parka! Does that mean that I am possibly looking at another addition to my year-end best-of list? That might very well be the case.

Tumbleweed Dealer's Self-Titled Album To Get LP Release!

Originally a independent release, and a very cool one at that, the self-titled album from Tumbleweed Dealer is going to be released on vinyl on 9/18 by Mind Control Records. If you're not familiar with the name, or for that matter the album in question, I've attached my original review of this album at the bottom of this announcement. In a nutshell the "group" features the pair of  Seb Painchaud (Unquintessence, Vatican, Winter Bestowed, Trails of Anguish, The Last Felony and many, many more!) and Carl Borman (Dopethrone, Downtrodden) doing what they do best. In other words the sound is a wonderfully bizarre mixture of stoner rock, blues rock, doom, drone and western music (yes, even western music!) all mashed together into what could best be described as a soundtrack to a movie that doesn't even exist! Pre-orders for this truly unique and ever so cool album have already begun so if your taste in music sometimes finds you craving something that is a little bit more left-of-center (or just downright wild!) then this just might be what the doctor ordered! Find out more at the links below!
  Pre-order the LP here:
http://epdmc.com/Tumbleweed-Dealer-s-t-LP_1
 Read my original review of this wild and crazy album here:
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/search?q=tumbleweed+dealer 

Twitching Tongues-In Love There Is No Law

Closed Casket Activities
2013

Having enjoyed the last Twitching Tongues release, 2012's "Sleep Therapy", I was knee-deep in enthusiasm and anticipation when I came across their new album's promo. The band, which hails from Los Angeles of all places, has only been around since 2010 or so, but in that short time frame they have made quite an impression. At the heart of Twitching Tongues distinct sound you'll discover elements of hardcore, metal, doom, stoner rock, goth metal ( the kind that made Type O Negative so much fun), death metal and even some black metal (think Celtic Frost). Of course you'll also discover how melancholy the whole affair is. Even though that might sound weird on paper, especially as this dread-inducing 5-piece draws some of their sound from early hardcore bands (Cro-Mags, Warzone, Sheer Terror and Agnostic Front), in reality the band pulls it off and the whole thing settles in quite nicely.  Lead vocals come from Colin Young whose somewhat raw delivery makes the material on hand all the more impactful. On lead guitar is Leo Orozco while Taylor Young handles rhythm guitars and provides additional vocals. Together the two guitarists spend their time ripping through riffs that are equal parts death metal (Obituary and Pestilence) and crossover (S.O.D.and Carnivore) while also not that far off from what Life Of Agony is all about. Bass guitar comes from the capable hands of Kyle Thomas while Mike Cesario hammers away on the drums. Both of these musicians do their proper-duty of keeping things nailed down while simultaneously they seem to be keeping themselves occupied with the notion that it's up to them to be the heaviest rhythm section in the land! All in all "In Love There Is No Law" is a step up and step forward for this L.A.-based band. It still shows a band that can pull in everything from hardcore to death metal and yet still maintain this overall sense of dread and despair. All of that makes Twitching Tongues a little bit different, but different is good.
 

Church Of Void-Dead Rising

Svart Records
2013

Having previously released/made initial contact with a limited-run, 4-track EP called "Winter Is Coming", which, incidentally, also came calling with just a lonesome and despair-inducing face for album art, this 5-piece Finnish act now presents their full-length debut LP. After first soaking in this album's artwork, which is chilling to say the least, I moved on into the inner sanctum that is "Dead Rising". Once this album starts to unfold it's obvious that the above album art is an effective starting point and it sets the mood perfectly Church Of Void's full-length debut recording. But, it only tells you so much and in no way can it prepare you for what's to come. For you see it's the music within that is the most caustic. Hard-edged, electrical doom rock? That seems just about right. Church of Void, who first came together in 2010 when it was assembled by vocalist Magus Corvus, point toward the likes of Saint Vitus, Black Sabbath and Pentagram for the doom while Scandinavian downer rock like Mana Mana and Babylon Whores fills in the blanks. I can't vouch for those last two (their ripped straight for the promo material), but I will say that the overall picture is one where everything fits together snugly. As wave after wave of this eclectic/electric doom comes crashing down it's interesting to note that while the music might just be downright spooky there is no talk of the devil to be within their lyrically content. Instead Church Of Void writes about the human condition which gives them a foot up on the competition one would have to argue. As vocalist Magus Corvus puts it "We write our material both as individuals and as a group, and most of it draws inspiration from archaic human instincts, needs and emotions". That's something you don't see, or rather hear, everyday from a doom touched outfit! "Dead Rising" is due out on August 30th on CD and LP.