Free Metal Monday: Dixie Goat-Black Sun Child

Self-Release/Independent
2015


I'm not sure how it happened, but somehow it's Monday again friends. It's like I blink and there goes the weak. What's more it's now November! Where did the past month go? Like the old Steve Miller Band song goes "Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin' Into the future". It's weirdness I tell you. Pure weirdness. Anyway, let's talk about Dixie Goat here. "Black Sun Child" is their latest release (and possibly only one?) and it is HOT off the presses! How hot? How about October 31st HOT! Yeah, that's HOT alright! As for the who, where and what of this freshly unearthed treasure? Well, the who (besides the excellent band name) would be:

J.P: Drums
K.F: Bass
Nikk: Guitar & Vocals

As for the where? Try Santiago, Chile. That just leaves us with the what. Does anyone want to take a stab in the dark here? If you looked at that cover and said "It's got to be doom in one shape or another" then you are correct! Not only is this doom, but it's GREAT doom!! Or at least that's the outer shell of this Halloween treat. Just like a certain candy coated chocolate delight (which I LOVE!) there's more to the story than meets the eye  Once you get past the tasty candy coating art that is doom (as in doom glorious doom!) you'll find yourself lost in a world of imagination where (seventies) hard rock, stoner rock, hard & heavy and even snarky punk do a little dance, make a little love and get down tonight! Yes my friends that's right! I'm talking about damn catchy doom metal that brings the joint to it's knees with riff-tastic rock! And the best part is it's FREE! Sure, it would be a good thing to throw a few coins in the jar for these Santiago movers and shakers, but I certain can and do understand that it's tough all over. We've all got to do what we can to make it. And that right there is part of the reason I try to dig up free music for our readers. So, whether you buy this hard working trio a drink or two or not this well-laid out album is right here waiting for you....with open arms. And the band? Well, you can find out more about Dixie Goat over at their Facebook page.

Witchskull-Promo CD

Self-Release/Independent
2015



Based in Cambria, Australia, Witchskull is a heavy stoner/doom metal band that was formed in 2014 by vocalist/guitarist Marcus De Pasquale (Looking Glass) and drummer Joel Green (Wardom, ex-Armoured Angel, ex-Under Oath). The very definition of a power trio, Witch Skull was put together with the sole purpose of creating a blues-based doom outfit. To that end, Marcus De Pasquale and Joel Green recruited  bass guitarist Tony McMahon before hitting the studio with Jason Fuller in order to record their full-length debut. In addition to the album's solid title track, "The Vast Electronic Dark", this limited-edition promo CD features a rough doom slammer called "Temple of Ly's" and the epic track "Harvest the Druid". With a run-time of over six minutes, "Harvest the Druid" alone is easily worth the price of admission and that has everything to do with it's sick mash-up of Black Sabbath-like seventies doom and what sounds like N.W.O.B.H.M.-influenced proto-metal! That being said, "Temple of Ly's" ends up coming in at a close second thanks to it's perfect one-one combination of Motörhead and bands like Black Sabbath, Trouble, Witchfinder General and Pentagram. Now, seeing as I like to give credit where credit it due I have a confession to make. I actually have Paul Rote to thank for this highly-recommend 3-track teaser CD as Witchskull is another one of his wicked cool recommendations! Paul was spot-on when he had this to say about Witchskull, "Sounds like the eighties band Piledriver mixed with a touch of Witchfinder General", and that sentence was all it took for me to want to hear this trio for myself! I ended up buying the Witchskull promo CD & patch combo from this link and man was I ever happy that I did! My next purchase will be a t-shirt as I want to be able to represent this band all the way over here in the U.S.! To see what all the fuss is about just head here. But first a word of warning. Let's not mince words here. Witchskull's music is very addicting. You should know that ahead of time. Even though this trio's sound is blues-based and rock-ready there's something else going on with Witchskull's metal side that makes it almost impossible to put down! I wanted to hear more from this Australia band, but now I'm forced to sweat it out while I wait! Seeing as this sampler is really nothing more than a naughty tease to get your heart pumping chances are you'll end up feeling the same way! So just a head's up friends...

Rogue-Bullet in the Sun

Self-Release/Independent
2014

I'm pleading ignorance when it comes to this Cleveland-based four-piece(?). Prior to downloading their latest Don Debiase (Beneath the Sky, Modern Day Escape) produced release, "Bullet in the Sun", off of iTunes all I had to go by with this bunch was a brief write-up in our local version of Scene Magazine. At the very least said write-up suggested a band that (partly) leaned toward the Alice In Chains side of heavy rock (more on that in a bit) while also employing some post-Pantera riffs to balance things out. Not exactly a new formula, but with the right amount of passion and persuasiveness perhaps a talented bunch could pull such a style out of yesterday's disposed of "Been there, done that so now let's all move along before somebody gets hurt" genre garbage pile and make it sound relevant to today's discerning metalheads? Sure, why not? Weirder things have happened. Right? So, with that thought in mind I went about downloading this EP off of iTunes as A) Post-grunge isn't necessarily the worst thing out there these days and B) We are talking about an Ohio metal band here and I'm always game to throw my support behind another local act! OK, really it had more to do with that part "B" then anything, but regardless I went on to snag, tag and bag (or however that goes!) this 6-track release for myself in hopes of hearing something that warranted praise. Color me surprised then as Rogue's latest studio recording is much more then simply recycled Alice In Chains melodies and Pantera groove lines! Yes, both band's do come into play on this EP ("33rd & Pain" for example does recall Alice In Chains, but the addition of some cool cowbell (more cowbell!) brings to mind Dumpster Juice), but (other then the so-so "Never Break") this band's rough style of heavy rock also takes into account everything from classic heavy metal to stoner rock and they do it all while living up to precedent that has previously been set by many a great Ohio metal band! Are they ready for the big time though? I'd need a few more spins to decide that one, but for what it is it's actually rather cool with most of these tracks hitting more towards "clever" then "throwaway". Available to download on both cdbaby and iTunes, with CD copies likely to be found by contacting the band over at their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/rogue.cleveland), Rogue sounds like a band with a mission now all they need is the proper mission specs! 

http://www.reverbnation.com/rogueroxx