tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6748472074863083932024-03-19T03:59:22.392+00:00Born Again NihilistA blog covering the best in underground sounds, based in Dublin, IrelandUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger253125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674847207486308393.post-39134660496618999072013-10-08T22:04:00.000+01:002013-10-08T22:04:33.408+01:00Album Review- Baleful Creed- S/T<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Locaton:Belfast,Northern Ireland<br />
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Now this is a funny one.Northern Irish hard rock quartet have just released their self titled debut album, which is of course a cause for celebration, as any new music from an awesome band should be.Except . . .<br />
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. . .It's not actually technically new music,more their first three EPs collected together in album format, and given a proper physical release.To some, it might seem poinless to review an album which consists of songs that I've already reviewed on a couple of occasions, but actually,'<i>Baleful Creed' </i>represents a perfect opportunity to revisit this sorely underrated Belfast quartet.It also enables me to use my notes from the previous reviews, which, seeing as I'm lazy, works out perfectly(only kidding,notes?!Ha ha ha ha).<br />
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For the unitiated, Creed deal in lead heavy, shit kicking hard rock that sounds like The Obsessed jamming on Black Crowes tunes, with a touch of Sabbathian doom and a strong grungy edge.Fronted by the gravel throated Fin Finlay, a man who sounds like he brushes his teeth with Jim Beam and rinses with razor blades, Baleful Creed are no nonsense sort of chaps, eschewing fairy stuff like autotune and synths and instead dealing in burnt out,fat stoner tone and massive fucking riffs.The strongest cuts on '<i>Baleful Creed' </i>stem from the band's most recent work, 'III':the granite edged Alice In Chains style stomp of opener 'Autumn Leaves' and the gritty briliance of 'Thorazine' just two examples, .'Double F.S' is the shit kicking party anthem Wino tried but failed to write on Premonition 13's 'Deranged Rock and Roller', while 'Illuminati''s menacing chug and off kilter rhythms are simply killer.<br />
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The earlier, more melodic cuts still hold up well though.Current video single 'Crazy Man' is an anthemic widescreen rocker, John Allen's earthy, soulful lead playing complimenting the granite hewn riffing perfectly.However,songs like 'Suffer In Silence'(ahem) suffer by comparison to more recent cuts, a sense of a band having not quite found their sound yet, and the almost gospel tinged climax to the song is, in all honesty, a little cringy on reflection.<br />
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As a collection of songs, '<i>Baleful Creed' </i>is interesting if you view it as a barometer of how much Creed's sound has changed and evolved over the last couple of years, the band morphing from a Trucker Diablo style 'rawk' band into something darker, more complex and ultimately more exciting.Time will tell what route the band take next, however as it stands, <i>'Baleful Creed' </i> is either a perfect opportunity to revisit some awesome songs, or if you're a newcomer, a handy introduction to a great band.<br />
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Rating: 7.5/10<br />
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For fans of Alice In Chains, The Obsessed, Orange Goblin, Fireball Ministry<br />
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Get it here:<a href="http://balefulcreed.bandcamp.com/album/baleful-creed">http://balefulcreed.bandcamp.com/album/baleful-creed</a><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674847207486308393.post-90834307579597991532013-09-28T15:49:00.001+01:002013-09-28T15:49:51.413+01:00Album Review-King Bong-'Space Shanties'<div>
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Location:Milan, Italy</div>
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Label:Moonlight Records</div>
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If you like your music as mad as a box of frogs and as stoned as Cheech and Chong on 4/20, then chances are you might dig Italian trio King Bong.Listening to <i>'Space Shanties'</i>, even sober, is a mind bending experience.Epic, doom-infused hymns to the weird and wonderful, the cosmic and bizarre, it's a fantastically fucked up, genre hopping sixty minute trip to the far corners of the universe of the mind.Drawing in influences from psychedelic rock, jazz and stoner doom, the Milan instrumentalist outfit deal less in traditional songs than tripped out sonic voyages to the beyond.<br />
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From the chorus drenched intro to 'Even Fifty Foot Hamsters Have Feelings<i>' </i> to the closing, burnt out squall of the penultimate 'Cthulu', '<i>Space Shanties' </i> is a blast.Recorded live, with no overdubs, the album has a pleasingly raw quality that can be missing from a lot of modern psyche.Much like countrymen Prehistoric Pigs,KB play a brand of raw, epic , almost punky psychedelic rock that demands to be heard live,preferably stoned to the nines with a cold beer in hand.Picture early Sabbath on Zappa's drugs, as crass a comparison as that may be it's the closest you can get to an accurate description of the free form madness of King Bong.The album also pulls off the trick of being jammy without ever becoming monotonous or too self indulgent,a lesson you really wish they'd pass on to some of their peers.There's also a healthy experimental bent, another trait Bong share with Prehistoric Pigs, time signatures being fucked with continually, and some clever and effective use of pedals to create some rather tasty sonic textures.This is 'stoner' music in the proper sense of the word, smoked out, tripping balls and toasted, nicely toasted. . .<br />
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With modern stoner rock fast becoming awash with self referential cliches,it's refreshing to hear a band that doesn't merely go through the motions in C Sharp as so many others do, and it also points to the strength of the Italian psyche/stoner/doom/scene right now, with great bands like the aforementioned Pigs, Ufomammut and now King Bong pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved within the realms of stoner/doom/psyche.Parental advisory;may contain fuzz.<br />
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Rating:8.5/10<br />
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For fans of: Stinking Lizaveta, Prehistoric Pigs, Summer Baccanalia, Jimi Hendrix<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674847207486308393.post-60758919687968207632013-09-23T14:54:00.000+01:002013-09-23T14:55:30.392+01:00EP Review - Mals Totem-S/T <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Location:Boston, MA, USA<br />
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Release Date: 16/09/2013<br />
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'Post-hardcore'.What does the term mean to you?<br />
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If you're under the age of 25, it can evoke images of dreadful crab-core scene bands bleating tunelessly while attempting to balance the combed weight of 40mm tunnels and their epic day-glo fringes on under nourished frames by rocking back and forth on monitors with their heads tilted sideways and running between the crowd and the drummer fifty odd times a show.(Design The Skyline anyone?)However, for people like me, who are, like, all old and shit and remember These Arms Are Snakes and Refused before they were a burnt out nostalgia act, the movement represented a refreshing alternative to the brainless belligerence of bands like Hatebreed and Throwdown, and gave a generation of backpack wearing vegan hardcore kids their own style icons in the likes of Cedric Bixler and that bloke from Thrice.<br />
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The debut EP from Boston quintet Mals Totem recalls some of those great bands in parts, but also adds in a progressive sensibility and songwriting nous that's all the band's own.Witness the nuanced staccato riffing and falsetto vocals of opener 'Strangest Motion' and be reminded of gems by the now forgotten likes of Christiansen, with the band twisting and turning through time changes like men possessed, vocalist Dave Vives unleashing a furious howl that recalls a more grounded Bixler.The band veer between furious post-hardcore riffing and more subdued, almost jazzy passages, a little like a more chilled out, less black metally, less Italian Ephel Duath at times, at others recalling early At The Drive In.The band are remarkable musicians, especially Vives, who displays a remarkable vocal range, and acts as the band's focal point,his passionate delivery a counterpoint to the clinical musicianship displayed.There are moments of utter brilliance;'Grind Tune' displays more ideas and invention in its 5 minutes 20 seconds than bands like Funeral For A Friend have their entire careers, while 'Jigsaw Falling Into Place' is eerily beautiful, like a heavier Radiohead channelling . . .And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead's mellower moments.<br />
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Overall, it's a strong collection of songs from a clearly talented and endlessly inventive band.However, at times, it's all a little too polite, a tad polished.Songs this great demand to roar from your speakers and grab you by the(figurative,aural) nads, but the production is just a little too quiet at times for my tastes.One can imagine that the band slay live, and it would be nice to hear more of a live, aggressive sound on another recording.Still, like the moody nihilistic bastard I am, as usual I'm nitpicking, and if there is one thing I have to say about Mals Totem it's this:if this is what they produce on their debut, it's scary to think what they're capable of in the future.Definitely recommended listening.<br />
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Rating:8/10<br />
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For fans of:Christiansen, At The Drive In, Enemies, The Mars Volta, ....And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead<br />
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Listen to/Stream/Download it here:<a href="http://malstotem.bandcamp.com/">http://malstotem.bandcamp.com/</a><br />
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Facebook:<a href="https://www.facebook.com/MalsTotem?fref=ts">https://www.facebook.com/MalsTotem?fref=ts</a><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674847207486308393.post-16327932310387899972013-09-20T23:07:00.000+01:002013-09-23T02:02:55.296+01:00Live Review- Lotus Eater Album Launch with New Secret Weapon-September 13th 2013 @The Grand Social, Dublin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Somewhere between the ordeal of navigating our way through the maze of corridors and fifty seven magic doors that constitute Dublin venue The Grand Social and the time we order our first beers, my girlfriend turns to me and remarks that Lotuseater, whose music I've introduced to her just a couple of days previous, are not really the sort of thing she ever expected me to listen to.<br />
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"Why?" , I answer, "I like all sorts."<br />
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"Yeah I know, but y'know usually . . ."<br />
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She trails off , but what she meant to say is:<br />
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<i>"Usually the gigs you bring me to consist of some bearded blokes roaring at an audience that contains more bearded blokes, and me, and playing instruments far too loud, that are tuned far too low for comfort, in a basement that smells faintly of piss.".</i><br />
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Yet here we are, and for good reason.Lotuseater rock, maybe not in the smash your face in, stomp you with a million riffs and a wall of distortion kinda way , but in a more subtle way, crafting songs that defy genre barriers and scene limitations, and tonight they're launching their long awaited debut album, '<i>Feed Me To The Night' </i>, the culmination of two years hard work writing and demoing(review to follow shortly on this here blog).Fittingly for a band as unconventional as they tend to be, tonight is less your average launch gig,and more of a wee soiree, with the audience treated more as invited guests than just some punters to entertain.<br />
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Greeted at the venue door by none other than Lotuseater frontwoman Siobhan Kavanagh, who is wearing one of the most fantastically elaborate, if least practical dresses I have ever laid eyes on,we are informed that the show is going to be delayed a little,so she invites us to get a drink, and assures us things will kick off soon.Now there are two things that I love about this.One, that the singer of the headlining band is dressed like she's the protagonist in Alice in Wonderland, if Alice fronted a trip-hop/rock crossover band, and two, that she's actually bothering at all to greet people as they walk in, as if this was some elaborate dinner party and not her band's album launch.Furthermore, when we are ushered inside a few minutes later, she then proceeds to walk around the rapidly growing crowd and hand out elegantly designed miniature cupcakes from a box, while the evening's first support act, a very talented bellydancer by the name of Kadri, performs a short routine to the strains of Lana Del Rey.</div>
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Given that The Grand Social appears to have a strict enough curfew, the music proper kicks off quite early, with New Secret Weapon up on stage well before nine.Not a band I'd ever heard before tonight,or even really heard of, to say I was caught unawares is an understatement.Picture latter day QOTSA force-fed a ton of hallucinogenic drugs and then let loose on the Primus song book, and you might begin to describe the fucked up noise being visited upon us.Bizarre, schizophrenic tunes infused with a skewed pop sensibility and played with the fervour of men possessed,their set is a delight to behold.Drummer Trevor Keogh acts as a fulcrum from which singer/guitarist David Griffin and bassist Mark O'Connor are allowed to indulge their own brand of fucked up rockarolla , peppered with the odd nod to country and funk here and there.Essential stuff, and a fantastic live act.<br />
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Most other nights, New Secret Weapon would have walked off with the show tucked under their arm like a fat child with some stale half price Tesco doughnuts on a summer's eve, but most other nights aren't Lotuseater's night.Flanked by be suited guitarist Aiden Norris and bassist Ciaran Timmy Lynch, Kavanagh strides onstage, unleashes that fantastic depth charge of a voice and the audience are putty in their hands in about ten seconds flat.Lotuseater ,as I said before, rock live, but not so much in a CIRCLE PIT!! kinda way, more in the sense that everything, the performance, stage presence and sheer quality of the songs on offer combines to make an extremely satisfying whole.<br />
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<i>Lotus Eater rocking the Grand Social, and some suits.</i></div>
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At the heart of Lotuseater's unique and beguiling sound is Kavanagh, and this is especially obvious live.A magnetic, powerful front woman both in terms of her musical ability and stage presence during songs, between them she's endearingly chatty and down to earth, even coming across as a little bit shy and nervous at times.There's no attempt at a diva like persona or any tired platitudes thrown at the audience telling them they're the best crowd the band have ever seen etc.Instead, Lotuseater for the most part let the music do the talking for them,a wise decision.Trying to sum up Lotuseater's eerily funky, left of centre sound in terms of genre or comparisons to other bands is pointless and vulgar, suffice to say there's really very few bands who sound like this.Live, their musical chops become apparent;the funk-punk juggernaut of 'Bless Your Efforts' , the murky beauty of 'Blue Lagoon' , the Muse-esque histrionics of 'It's All Too Late' ,all performed with a muso's flair, but a rock band's enthusiasm and passion.Drummer Cion O Ceallaghain is the band's engine room, deftly unperpinning the band's sonic explorations and locking in with bassist Lynch seamlessly.As the band's set progresses, so too does the fervour of the audience increase; a hefty tattooed bloke in a Tapout wifebeater near me dances like a charmed Indian cobra, and the gig photographer at one point forgets what he's doing and starts jumping up and down, expensive Canon bouncing along with him.<br />
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Like I said, not your typical launch gig then, but not your typical band.My girlfriend remarks to me as we leave that she's utterly blown away, and demands to know when the band are playing again.<br />
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Soon enough I reckon, but first we should hit a couple of hardcore shows.<br />
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Rating:9.5/10<br />
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Stephen O' Connor, Born Again Nihilist<br />
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Check Lotuseater out here: <a href="http://www.seekthelotus.com/">http://www.seekthelotus.com/</a><br />
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Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/LotusEater/189612644391375?fref=ts">https://www.facebook.com/pages/LotusEater/189612644391375?fref=ts</a><br />
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Check New Secret Weapon out here:<a href="http://www.reverbnation.com/newsecretweapon?page_view_source=facebook_app">http://www.reverbnation.com/newsecretweapon?page_view_source=facebook_app</a><br />
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Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/newsecretweaponofficial?fref=ts">https://www.facebook.com/newsecretweaponofficial?fref=ts</a><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674847207486308393.post-91698079585969914982013-09-17T23:31:00.001+01:002013-09-23T02:02:47.963+01:00Live Review- Soundgarden and Graveyard at the 02 Dublin- 16/09/2013<br />
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I must admit, I felt a certain amount of trepidation about seeing a reformed Soundgarden live, especially at the cavernous 02 in the heart of Dublin's docklands, which embodies everything that's shit about arenas.Six euro for a pint,sound of ,to be kind, variable quality depending on where you stand in the arena, and of course that horrific blue light emanating from the ceiling that puts one in mind of a Burger King toilet.Rest assured, whatever else happens in those ridiculously overpriced balcony seats, it's unlikely to involve any intravenous drugs.<br />
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Then there's the small matter of my ridiculously high expectations.Ever since the moment a decade ago that I picked up '<i>Superunknown</i>' from the racks of my local Golden Discs store(don't look for it, its not there anymore) and decided to take a punt seeing as it was only eight quid and I liked 'Black Hole Sun', I have been a massive Soundgarden fan.One of the few heavy bands apart from Mastodon, Alice In Chains and Clutch that even my Radiohead loving 'indie' mates agreed were fantastic, Cornell and co's body of work, in particular '<i>Superunknown' and 'Badmotorfinger' </i>,were afforded a most lofty position in my pantheon of musical idols.<br />
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Then some stuff happened.Audioslave stuff.Timbaland stuff.More, even crappier Audioslave stuff after that, and my hero worship of Cornell faded a little.At least,I assured myself, Soundgarden would never be tainted for me, being as they swore that they would never reform, and no amount of money could tempt them to say otherwise.Except,of course, they did reform, and lo and behold,we have '<i>King Animal' ,</i>a record which has proved divisive among many hardcore fans, myself included.Brilliant in places, in others it sounded weak, and like a band trying too hard to recapture former glories.However, when it was announced the Seattle quartet would be playing a rare Irish date, I didn't hesitate, not even for a second.If they're shit, I told myself, at least I can say I've seen them.<br />
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Irish public transport being the unreliable farce that it is, we arrive a little late to The Venue Formerly Known AsThe Point, just in time to catch Swedish retro rock luvvies Graveyard tearing through 'The Siren'.Grabbing a quick(expensive) pint, quickly perusing some(even more expensive) merch and quickly walking away when we see how much we'd be paying for it, we wander back over to catch the latter half of Graveyards's set.And it's mostly good stuff, the band acquitting themselves well, in particular drummer Axel Sjoberg, who channels the spirit of John Bonham so convincingly you have to wonder did Bonzo drop a couple of illicit love children on a long forgotten Swedish tour.The band as a whole are slick, never really blowing you away but impressing all the same with some solid musicianship and some well crafted, proggy blues rock songs.Usually touted as the best thing since sliced Sabbath by stoner rock fan boys,Graveyard don't quite live up to the hype, and they don't quite nail the retro-rock vibe as well as, say, Uncle Acid And The Deadbeats, but they appear to win a few fans tonight all the same,and one wonders how they'd fare on a smaller stage and as headliners.Their light show is also, and I'm not being sarcastic, pretty awesome. . . .well I liked it.<br />
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And so on to the main event.And to be brutally honest, at least to start, Soundgarden kinda suck.Or at least the sound does.Combine the fact that the first two or three songs are all but unlistenable, and the bulk of the crowd are more interested in filming Cornell on their iPhones,and it's quite possibly the most underwhelming,flat start to a gig I've ever witnessed.A little voice, small but getting louder as things progress, keeps muttering "<i>Please don't let this be shit, please</i>" in the back of my mind. But things soon pick up.Cornell greets the crowd after the band have run through their first couple of numbers, and then introduces the next song:'Flower',the very first song off their first full length, 'Ultramega Ok'.And all of a sudden, every thing's right with the world.The sound sorts itself out, the crowd wake up(a little, let's be honest, no one was expecting circle pits) and for the following ninety or so minutes,Soundgarden proceed to rock the fuck out.<br />
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Ok, so the set isn't perfect.There's a little too much of '<i>King Animal', </i>almost nothing from '<i>Louder Than Love' , </i>not much more of '<i>Badmotorfinger' </i>save 'Outshined' and a feral 'Rusty Cage', and the band seem to lack much chemistry or energy on stage(save of course, drumming demi-god Matt Cameron).But when the set is stuffed full of songs like 'Spoonman', 'My Wave', and a rare live outing of 'Limo Wreck', one tends to forgive a band an uneven set very quickly.Highlights include a thunderous 'Mailman', the deft complexity of choice '<i>King . . .' </i>cut 'Non State Actor', and perhaps best of all, a final, crowd slaying stomp through 'Beyond The Wheel', bookended by a sickening wall of noise, Kim Thayil and Ben Sheperd standing backs to the crowd, lost in the primeval,perfect howl of a wall of amps feeding back.<br />
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All in all, it's not a perfect show by any means, but neither is it a cash in tour or a sorry attempt to reclaim past glories.Soundgarden tonight are loud , in your face and at times ludicrously brilliant.Cornell is charming, self effacing, even funny at times, and while he no longer possesses the god-like howl and imperious range of old, he's still in fine voice.The real stars though are guitarist Kim Thayil and drummer Matt Cameron, the latter anchoring the band superbly and playing out of his skin, the former proving to all and sundry why he's still the thinking man's guitar idol,his combination of bizarre chorus-heavy guitar tones,oddball tunings and monolithic riffing still instantly recognisable.<br />
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Six quid for a pint is taking the piss though.<br />
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Rating: 7.5/10<br />
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Stephen O' Connor, Born Again Nihilist<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674847207486308393.post-77137027643347270242013-09-14T18:00:00.000+01:002013-09-14T18:00:22.665+01:00Album Review- Druganaut -'Druganaut'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Location: Newcastle, UK<br />
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From the thunderous sludge of low-end pioneers Iron Monkey to the cosmic freak outs of Welsh legends Acrimony, the Brits have always somewhat of an edge on their European and American peers in terms of producing proper gritty, gnarly stoner/doom bands.You wouldn't expect much less from the isle that birthed Sabbath ,but even then, the UK underground scene is an embarrassment of riches at times.From the bleak complexity of HARK, to the off the wall rumblings of bands like Valfader and Wolfshead, it seems there's definitely been something quite strong and possibly illegal being funneled into the water/Carling over the last couple of years.Now another bunch of down tuned miscreants have arrived to pound your eardrums, drink all your good beer and probably fuck your girlfriend as soon as you've fallen asleep.Ladies and gentlemen, introducing Geordie monsters Druganaut, and their monolithic debut self titled album.<br />
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From the opening chords of 'Smoke The Dead', its very clear we're not fucking around here:Druganaut are the real deal.No cute attempts at 'the vintage sound'.No silly fantasy lyrics(apart from the pervy, sexual kind, but more on that later) and absolutely no attempt to placate the Metal Hammer set with watered down pop choruses.This is heavy as balls, hard hitting stoner metal in the vein of Crowbar or early Down, a wicked riposte to a decade of Toni And Guy groomed posers with Washburn guitars and Top Shop Metallica Ts. Druganaut's ace in the hole is front man Craig Relf, a man who sounds like he gargles broken glass and whiskey first thing in the morning as a warm up.If Relf were to recite One Direction lyrics as poetry, it would still sound scary as fuck, and its his throaty contributions that stand out ,investing every note with soulful invective and earthy conviction.Lyrically, Relf imbues songs with a vein of black humour and sinister storytelling nous,coming across as both darkly colloquial and menacing as hell.<br />
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That's not to marginalize the rest of the band of course, and credit goes to guitarists Kyle Partridge and Adam Sheriff for some of the grooviest, catchiest riffs we've heard from a band of this ilk in quite some time.Witness the elephantine boogie of 'Carradine's Closet', a poor-taste but high gain tribute to the late B-Movie legend, or the sinister intro to 'Sober Again' , and be reminded just why you fell in love with this kind of music in the first place.Granted, not every track is a classic('Sex Face' is just a little overcooked and doesn't really fit with the rest of the tracks in my honest opinion) but for the most part <i>'Druganaut' </i>is a<i> </i>great collection of songs, a steroidal rhythm section and strong production holding the whole thing together.<br />
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If,like me,you find latter day Down and COC utterly disappointing, and miss bands like Raging Speedhorn in your life, you could do far worse than giving '<i>Druganaut</i>' a listen.Weighty, weedy grooves and planet sized riffing,it's time to shake your bones . . .<br />
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Rating:8/10<br />
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For fans of: Crowbar, Down, Raging Speedhorn, Two Tales Of Woe<br />
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Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/druganautband">https://www.facebook.com/druganautband</a><br />
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Band Profile: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/druganautband/app_2405167945">https://www.facebook.com/druganautband/app_2405167945</a><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674847207486308393.post-26401986492388192402013-09-12T17:14:00.000+01:002013-09-12T17:20:54.934+01:00Ep Review - Mu Cephei- 'Demo'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlYDiI1e81gDVhp_9bxElzuZ_ngQ_RpdVmcWxX4S3kog3okqi1RbaTYhaP4N2L36ajJD1GIcsvEL_WG8e6ju7WsFk5AkEeLgGjchXV3rUu3c80g0maW6jFFG6aAdEj7FzbsnEpGtr8vr4/s1600/cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlYDiI1e81gDVhp_9bxElzuZ_ngQ_RpdVmcWxX4S3kog3okqi1RbaTYhaP4N2L36ajJD1GIcsvEL_WG8e6ju7WsFk5AkEeLgGjchXV3rUu3c80g0maW6jFFG6aAdEj7FzbsnEpGtr8vr4/s320/cover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Location:Kildare, Ireland<br />
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Label:Unsigned<br />
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Release Date:August 2013<br />
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Lurching forth from a practice space in deepest Kildare(a county known for it's high level of gloom), doom/sludge trio Mu Cephei are intent on raping your ears and poisoning your mind with their own brand of noxious psychedelic doom.Sans a bassist, they nevertheless manage to conjure up a cacophony of primal low end noise, imbued with a touch of deft melody, that should have fans of slo-mo, hypnotic violence foaming at the mouth(dirty bastards that they are.)<br />
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Owing more than a small debt to the horrific mantras of bands like Electric Wizard, Mu Cephei deal in the kind of oppressive, funereal dirges that put one in mind of every kind of drug sickness you can imagine.From the first monolithic rumblings of opener 'ilyushin' , to the closing feedback and phaser drenched moments of 'Vacuum Phase Transition', the atmosphere created is reminiscent of a particularly bad come down, the kind that invades your every sense of being and stays with you for months afterwards.Front man Rob's vocals, drenched as they are in reverb and buried way down in the mix, are perfectly judged, all clean singing, albeit hidden under as many effects as humanly possible.It's a sound closer to prime Church Of Misery or Icelandic loons Volva than say, Eyehategod, swathes of psyche-tinged misery filtered through a production that is as warm and stripped down as they come, allowing the band's murky sound room to breath.<br />
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Even though this is essentially a glorified demo, the quality of what's on offer here pisses all over most 'proper' full length doom releases this year.Give it a few months, ,and maybe a full length , and Mu Cephei will no doubt join the likes of Weed Priest and Slomatics in flying the flag for Irish sludge/drone/doom bands.Essential, addictive, evil stuff.<br />
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Rating: 8.5/10<br />
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For fans of :Electric Wizard, Slomatics, Ufomammut, Weed Priest<br />
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Buyit here(name your price download) here:<a href="http://mu-cepheidoom.bandcamp.com/album/demo">http://mu-cepheidoom.bandcamp.com/album/demo</a><br />
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Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MuCephei">https://www.facebook.com/MuCephei</a><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674847207486308393.post-73436802691586664462013-08-18T21:15:00.003+01:002013-08-22T02:55:35.776+01:00Album Review - Words That Burn-'PRAEY'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo0EQngBC0gEOy60lbsogpC-N0IZYS76p2diy73P8rLaNhM6KHM8yROBKyCxPxbPOPOj3oodEXS6gUvw4ubrMHeC2SLApau95ULdWPHHVnsH8sExGqTCk0TzseEIE9oReidltyV261aS4/s1600/cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo0EQngBC0gEOy60lbsogpC-N0IZYS76p2diy73P8rLaNhM6KHM8yROBKyCxPxbPOPOj3oodEXS6gUvw4ubrMHeC2SLApau95ULdWPHHVnsH8sExGqTCk0TzseEIE9oReidltyV261aS4/s320/cover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Location:Dundalk, Ireland<br />
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Label:Flat Battery Records<br />
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Readers of a certain vintage (i.e my vintage, mid twenties, man child), will remember a time when the term nu-metal wasn't necessarily a dirty word, and while there will never be any doubt that most of the more mainstream practitioners of the genre were unadulterated horse-shit(Staind, lol), there were also some genuinely brilliant bands( American Head Charge, Downer, early Mudvayne to name just a few) that made some quality music.Well, turns out I'm not the only one that remembers bands dressing up as pillocks and playing seven string guitars hanging down past their knees, as Dundalk/Carrickmacross quartet Words That Burn have just produced <i>PRAEY,</i>an album<i> </i>that serves as a love letter to the genres heyday,while simultaneously introducing a formidable new talent to the Irish metal scene.<br />
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The bands' sound is a hybrid of eclectic songwriting akin to <i>Angel Dust </i>era Faith No More , industrial electronics and down tuned, staccato metallic riffing.Massive,danceable groove-laden riffs in the vein of bands like Static-X( before all the underage sex scandals of course) blend with skewed piano instrumentals and tortured vocals in a hugely enjoyable miasma of angsty heaviness.Tracks like the hook laden 'So Helpless' deserve to become rock-club mainstays, while slower, more atmospheric numbers like 'Ctrl X' recall the more reflective moments of American Head Charges' <i>The War Of Art</i>. And before all you music snobs start your snickering, before fashion left them behind and drugs took a serious hold, AHC were a fantastic band, deservedly selling shit loads of records, and working with Rick Rubin.<br />
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'Dig' is another highlight, the almost rave-y intro recalling the less turgid moments of Censura.The band clearly put strong stock in songwriting, and the majority of the songs here are exceptionally well crafted.The band forge a distinct sound, too twisted and schizophrenic for the posturing of the hardcore scene, too clever for the macho knuckle dragging of a lot of the modern metal brigade and possibly too weird and left-field for the alternative set to appreciate them.Songs like 'Sictember' are indicative of this idiosyncratic approach,a funereal industrial-metal dirge with more than a nod to the work of some bloke called Michael Patton, while the closing title track shows the band are more than capable of moments of plaintive beauty as well.<br />
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A hugely enjoyable listen, and refreshingly free of breakdowns, fringes, crab-core , and other such nonsense.Highly recommended.<br />
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Rating: 8/10<br />
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For fans of: Mudvayne, American Head Charge, Faith No More, Downer, Spineshank<br />
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Listen to/Buy It Here: <a href="http://wordsthatburn.bandcamp.com/album/praey">http://wordsthatburn.bandcamp.com/album/praey</a><br />
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bornagainnihilist@gmail.comUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674847207486308393.post-27605341428958565862013-08-14T11:45:00.000+01:002013-08-14T11:45:53.412+01:00Album Review - The Boy Who Cried Wolf -'Bad Time Stories'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Location:Bucharest,Romania<br />
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Label:Fading Halo Records<br />
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DIY hardcore label Fading Halo has been busy over the last year or so, promoting the cream of the crop of the Romanian hardcore scene,and whatever you may think of the bands on their roster, it's hard not to admire the label's grassroots ethos (all albums offered as free downloads, strict anti-fascism/anti-racism stance). The label can also boast a fairly diverse collection of artists on it's roster, from noise lunatics I Stared Into The Forest, to the experimental grind-core of Coins As Portraits.Now, in the immortal words of Monty Python, for something completely different.<br />
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The Boy Who Cried Wolf hail from Bucharest, and are probably the best band we've heard from the Fading Halo stable.Combining a traditional hardcore sound with some monstrous Southern-metal influenced riffing a la Vera Cruz and Cancer Bats, the quartet's debut, <i>Bad Time Stories, </i>is a heady, if at times uneven cocktail of powerful riffing and brute aggression.<br />
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Opener 'It's Just A Rebel Sir' kicks things off nicely , a stuttering drum beat segueing into an absolutely massive fucking riff, guitarist Bogdan immediately standing out as the band's main focal point.'Home' announces itself in a similar fashion,a Cancer Bats-esque monster with some fantastic groovy riffing and a shout along chorus tailor made for sweaty mosh pits the world over. Unfortunately, the band also reveal their weaker points in the same song,half hearted melodic breakdowns, which show that, while vocalist Mihai rocks when flaying his throat with agonized screaming, he struggles big time with more melodic vocals.<br />
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The band are at their best when whipping up a storm of deafening punk noise, as on current video track 'Ghost Riders(Flame On Scumbags)' , or riding a sludgy, addictive groove, as on 'The Boy Who Cried Wolf' , or the spectacularly doomy, schizophrenic sonic temper tantrum that is 'Swamps'. However, when they drop a gear , as on 'End' or 'Inverted Queen', their sound suffers as a result.This more melodic material is definitely the weakest, with the band reverting disappointingly to hardcore type with strained emo vocals blighting what is otherwise a decent post hardcore workout on the former, and killing the promise of a blinding intro riff on the latter.<br />
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That said, <i>Bad Time Stories </i> is mostly a killer hardcore record, with moments of genuine, innovative genius, and when the band hit their stride and simply rock out they are fantastic.There is huge amounts of promise here, and if the band focus more on their strong points(more Bogdan, more guitar, more groove) , future records promise to be mind blowingly good.Ones to watch . . .<br />
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Rating:7.5/10<br />
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For fans of :Vera Cruz, Cancer Bats, Bent Life, Hollow Truth, Gallows.<br />
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Listen to/get it here: <a href="http://tbwcw.bandcamp.com/">http://tbwcw.bandcamp.com/</a><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674847207486308393.post-73248424960896892672013-08-11T14:06:00.000+01:002013-08-11T15:40:42.551+01:00Demo Review - Purple Dino - 'Demosaurus'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Location:Xanithi, Greece<br />
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Label:Unsigned<br />
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Over the last couple of years there's been an upsurge in great stoner/desert bands from Greece, from the trippy,burnt out sonic voyages of 1,000 mods to the bombastic all out <i>rawk </i>of Nightstalker, it seems that someone in the small Mediterranean has some especially potent and powerful green for sale.Now add to that list the adorably named Purple Dino, a low slung desert rock four-piece from the town of Xanithi in Thrace.<br />
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Obviously drawing influence from the usual likes of Fu Manchu and Nebula, as well as some of their aforementioned countrymen, the amusingly titled '<i>Demosaurus' </i>comprises three tracks of enjoyably lo-fi, driving desert rock. The usual imagery of freewheeling drives along empty desert highways and doing inordinate amounts of drugs in the sun is evoked, while the band's sound tends not to stray too far from the traditional desert/stoner blueprint.Not that this is ever a bad thing, music like this is all about paying tribute to what's come before and of course, the execution, and Purple Dino do it better than a lot of their peers . There is a loose, jammy feel to '<i>Demosaurus' </i> that keeps you coming back for more, even if the production at times can be a little bit rough around the edges, but hey, it's a demo(saurus) , so some of that can be forgiven.The main criticism, as is often the case with music like this, is singer Pavlos' vocals, which seem at times to be an after thought in the mix, and are either too high or too low in the mix.The band seem to be searching for their sound as well , which results in some parts of songs meandering a little.<br />
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However, overall, this is a strong first effort from an obviously talented bunch of dudes.Good smoking music, and one that bodes well for a proper EP/Album.It's also refreshing to find a band that doesn't put a naked chick draped over a car on their demo cover.Just saying,dinosaurs are fucking awesome . . .<br />
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Rating: 7/10<br />
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For fans of: 1,000 Mods, Nebula, Fu Manchu, Karma To Burn, Castero.<br />
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Listen/Get it here: <a href="http://purpledinoband.bandcamp.com/">http://purpledinoband.bandcamp.com/</a><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674847207486308393.post-4886903565960280122013-08-07T00:01:00.000+01:002013-08-07T00:02:29.533+01:00Album Review- Prehistoric Pigs- 'Wormhole Generator'<br />
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Location: Italy<br />
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Label: Moonlight Records<br />
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I don't know what they're putting in the water over in Italy, but it seems of late that the sex and pizza loving boot of Europe has been churning out some pretty awesome sludge/doom bands. From the horrifically spacey drone/doom of Ufomammut to the gothic beauty of Vanity, via the bat-shit space rock insanity of King Bong, a fantastic, not to mention unique and diverse scene has sprung up from a country more traditionally known for Serie A and the antics of its Prime Minister.Now you can add to that list time travelling stoner monsters Prehistoric Pigs, a band who, in their own words, want to "<i>enslave humans with our music."</i><br />
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Opener 'Swirling Rings of Saturn' kicks things off in monumental fashion, a cyclone of churning delays seguing into a monolithic stoner riff that puts one in mind of a less restrained Karma To Burn melded with the low end swagger of prime early Kyuss. The band excel at the kind of burned out, droning instrumentals that the latter used to make their own on songs like 'Asteroid' and 'Molten Universe'. A pleasingly coarse , stripped down production aids things no end, letting the band's magma-thick grooves breath.<br />
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'Interstellar Gunrunner', a standout track on the album, exemplifies this stripped back approach.Burnt out, low slung riffing, all executed with hypnotic flair. Bass over driven to near breaking point and welded to guitar riffs so huge and fuzzy Ted Nugent can be heard somewhere in the mix cleaning his guns. Some great lead work and soloing breaks things up, but for the most part, it's all about the riffing, a few mellower moments only serving to break up the planet sized grooves a little and make things flow a little better.One of those albums that is best enjoyed start to finish, with a cold one in one hand and some fine Moroccan grass in the other, '<i>Wormhole Generator' </i> is a trip, and a reminder that instrumental music isn't all ASIWYFA and Enemies.Unmissable.<br />
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Rating: 8/10<br />
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For fans of : Karma To Burn, Kyuss, Asteroid, Dead Meadow<br />
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Listen/Buy It Here:<a href="http://prehistoricpigs.bandcamp.com/">http://prehistoricpigs.bandcamp.com/</a><br />
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Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/PrehistoricPigs/info?ref=ts">https://www.facebook.com/PrehistoricPigs/info?ref=ts</a><br />
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Stephen<br />
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bornagainnihilist@gmail.comUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674847207486308393.post-78340264815201094842013-07-10T00:49:00.000+01:002013-07-10T01:04:31.981+01:00Spotlight:Great Albums You Might Have Missed- Electric Taurus-'Veneralia' <div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaVGAHHxk6TsxL7FMoDZTOVzN7KOxUuLhlOJJ4QRCT2MLKZ6SsD5l2EWaOAuA4950tdZ8GWSllq0xEc7GnUaoyA3iZmud3qMMzznhmYrDLb0F5IuSCqb1Qw0DTfjjnY1RGnCb4LcVyzMY/s1600/electric+taurus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaVGAHHxk6TsxL7FMoDZTOVzN7KOxUuLhlOJJ4QRCT2MLKZ6SsD5l2EWaOAuA4950tdZ8GWSllq0xEc7GnUaoyA3iZmud3qMMzznhmYrDLb0F5IuSCqb1Qw0DTfjjnY1RGnCb4LcVyzMY/s1600/electric+taurus.jpg" /></a></div>
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It is often said that in many things, fashion is cyclical.Those flares sitting in your wardrobe you never thought you'd wear again ,in a year from now, suddenly become fashionable again.That moth eaten Motley Crue t-shirt from your glory days huntin' tail in tacky metal bars, becomes an instant Ebay classic(as a child of the nineties, such horrors elude me, though I did own the Spice Girls first album.On cassette.).This rule of repeating styles and tastes is one that is especially relevant when considering the current trends permeating the stoner/doom/heavy rock underground.Witness the way bands like Ghost B.C, Graveyard and Uncle Acid are revisiting the heyday of seventies doom and heavy rock, bringing an air of tongue in cheek theatricality and fun, along with a sense of analogue warmth back to a rock scene burned out on the miserablism of everything post, nu and core. Bands that are barely old enough to remember Top Of The Pops are discovering vintage Beat Club jams through the magic of YouTube, and digging on their parents vinyl collection with a heretofore unseen hunger for the magic of prime tape and reel. . . .<br />
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Which brings us to Irish-Italian-Argentinian outfit Electric Taurus.A ferocious live band, who I've had the privilege of sharing a stage with before as a musician and also viewing as a drunken spectator, the trio dig on the vibes of yesteryear to create a uniquely retrofied but still relevant take on the doom sound.Opener 'Mountains' is a prime example, a fantastically understated bass intro from James Lynch segues into a crashing cacophony of drums from Mauro Frison, before Matt Casciani's tar thick riffing rears its wonderfully red eyed head, and the band proceed to freak out in unison in a wonderfully fuzzed up take on a classic doom sound.'A New Moon' is reminiscent of sadly underrated fuzz rock grandfathers Mountain in its monolithic groove, while 'Two Gods Caput Algol' is a fantastically weighty slice of prime Sabbathian stomp. The influence of '<i>Volume 4' </i> on Taurus' songwriting is evident throughout, a mellow, progressive yet at the same time lean and aggressive approach taken to material that is at times genius in its simplicity. </div>
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The band do display a fondness for more prog rock elements throughout as well.The eerie menace of 'Mescalina:If AT The Edge Of The Earth' acts almost like an interlude on the album, some jazzier flourishes from Frison framing a slow-burn freak out from Casciani, a mini odyssey hinting at an affection for classic psychedelic rock. It also showcases what a subtly excellent rhythm section Lynch and Frison are , locked in with each other in the vein of Butler and Ward or Jones and Bonham, allowing Casciani's guitar parts room to breath.And they are massive parts, his tone damn near perfect, helped by an array of custom made pedals.This is the heavier side of retro, the parts the revival brigade skip over, the voodoo and evil of classic heavy doom metal.Catch em live, and you'll see what I mean, a crushing, spacey , almost free-form live act, this is something that, to borrow a Crowbar album title, is sonic excess in it's purest form . . .</div>
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Stephen O' Connor.</div>
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Born Again Nihilist.</div>
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bornagainnihilist@gmail.com</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674847207486308393.post-30858794133756867692013-06-06T17:03:00.002+01:002013-06-06T17:37:38.105+01:00Album Review - Morality Crisis 'Boats'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBxCsfhBtORZ_5nwJmAsmAHxihnL07Ra-Zx4tXUucw8Z9koRyDkdpf5f2e6Maw6ItMw__wm44Qqrk-gXoq3OzPziGqYgYcNJaPtIaVY1daqYNUfyPPJ6M33Tl63Bz0zWoZ5Fvt7BqUnOw/s1600/cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBxCsfhBtORZ_5nwJmAsmAHxihnL07Ra-Zx4tXUucw8Z9koRyDkdpf5f2e6Maw6ItMw__wm44Qqrk-gXoq3OzPziGqYgYcNJaPtIaVY1daqYNUfyPPJ6M33Tl63Bz0zWoZ5Fvt7BqUnOw/s320/cover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Label: Minnesconsin Records (<a href="http://minnesconsinrecords.tumblr.com/">http://minnesconsinrecords.tumblr.com/</a>)<br />
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If there was a prize for most misleadingly tame artwork, the pleasantly sketched cover of 'Minnesconsin' sludge rockers Morality Crisis would no doubt be in for a nod.One can picture some hapless soul perusing their local record store in search of some relaxing post-rock or smooth jazz, gazing at the serenely sketched yellow and blue vista in front of them, and deciding to shell out a few bucks, in the hope of being able to light one up and bliss out , headphones on, on their lovely new retro bean bag . . .<br />
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. . Only for their world to be torn down completely from the second the rumbling bass line of opener 'Enormous Fucking Death Ass Knife' sounds out, with a voice that sounds like Glen Benton gargling glass intoning the hateful mantra-like lyrics over a slow burning cacophony of down tuned ,molasses thick riffs .This is some seriously heavy shit kid, and you're in over your head . . .<br />
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Following on from the progressive sludge metal brilliance of 'North/Log' and 'Taker Her To The Trend Bar', Morality Crisis have evolved their sound a great deal,and <i>Boats </i>is a weirder, more schizophrenic,less accessible listen than previous works by the band.Picture early Mastodon and Baroness on The Melvins' drugs, while Mike Patton produces and Big Business share some cheap speed with The Dillinger Escape Plan in the corner, and you're halfway to describing the nerve shredding lunacy of songs like 'Naptaker' and the amusingly titled 'Touched By an Adult' .The band suck in influences from disciplines as disparate as death metal, Bison B.C esque sludge rock and even jazz to craft their bizarre , fucked up compositions.Witness the way 'Anxiety Rifle' stumbles into view on a monolithic smoked out stoner riff ,before spinning off into random jazzy interludes,blast beats and skewed vocal melodies, eventually collapsing into an uneasy melodic detour, only to explode again in spastic violence.All in the same song.<br />
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Make no mistake, this is not an easy listen.<i>Boats </i>is an album many of you will hate the first time you hear it.It is belligerent, obnoxiously dissonant , and makes no effort at all to try and suck you in via a sneaky pop hook the way a band like Dillinger might.This is music made by men with clear issues and a sick sense of humour to boot.Its also brilliant, refusing to bow to cliché or trends, the band forging their own uniquely twisted identity.Essential, nightmarish stuff.<br />
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Rating:9/10<br />
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For fans of : Mastodon, Tomahawk, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Mockingbird<br />
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Listen to/buy it here: <a href="http://moralitycrisis.bandcamp.com/music">http://moralitycrisis.bandcamp.com/music</a><br />
Facebook : <a href="https://www.facebook.com/moralitycrisis?fref=ts">https://www.facebook.com/moralitycrisis?fref=ts</a><br />
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Release Date: 25th of June 2013<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674847207486308393.post-56342926295529434842013-05-27T16:38:00.000+01:002013-05-27T16:40:14.030+01:00Live Review - Facemelter Music@ The Thomas House, 24-05-13 wi Marabou, Beltbuckle Overdrive and Snowblind<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsMRXnZWqUp9Hym6Q487SAOhtcnIfIANQ7NJhakdOUnBcL1xxZrjhF5ZT9M3yGv38RefPZzPOi8U9YjjpYiMRTHa456a-2npe-48_HHmnPe683iqIUQaOtLNWUp-oC-6sRJtia2ielFL4/s1600/Marabou+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsMRXnZWqUp9Hym6Q487SAOhtcnIfIANQ7NJhakdOUnBcL1xxZrjhF5ZT9M3yGv38RefPZzPOi8U9YjjpYiMRTHa456a-2npe-48_HHmnPe683iqIUQaOtLNWUp-oC-6sRJtia2ielFL4/s320/Marabou+2.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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Entering Dublin's Thomas House for tonight's Face Melter extravaganza, it's not readily apparent that there's any kind of metal gig going on at all , at least not straight away.For those unfamiliar with the south inner city venue, it's one that has in the past been home more to rockabilly,punk and trad gigs than ear raping metallic noise, and as we stroll in from the haze of an unusually bright and warm Irish summer evening, we are initially a little puzzled by all the friendly , be-quiffed and tattooed folk bopping to what sounds like Tiger Army.Directed downstairs by the cheery barman, all becomes a little clearer as soon as we push upon the door, to be greeted by some wicked noise from the evening's openers Snowblind, not to mention an enthusiastic hello from tonight's masters of ceremonies, one Aaron Gaffey of Kerouac fame, who proceeds to stuff Nihilist's pockets and various other orifices with glowsticks and merch til we're nearly weighted down.The vibe tonight is all about cutting loose and having a laugh while listening to some killer bands, and we're definitely game.Cold, frosty pints of lager at the ready, we head for the front . . .<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXLvOHPEzU9t868dXDJuF_2XEDhS68KoE77_lcVQdSeoXLa9kQQ4LVjthPeWsHZYukEcTElz4T7rCl22STVES3OVACd3gryzxu76LOTsnpOwbIHuoMvD3OaxgJG7KrSjCFniINwfLfMm8/s1600/Snwoblind+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXLvOHPEzU9t868dXDJuF_2XEDhS68KoE77_lcVQdSeoXLa9kQQ4LVjthPeWsHZYukEcTElz4T7rCl22STVES3OVACd3gryzxu76LOTsnpOwbIHuoMvD3OaxgJG7KrSjCFniINwfLfMm8/s320/Snwoblind+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Snowblind in action.</i></div>
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Unfortunately due to various public transport balls ups(well not really balls ups, just Dublin Bus being shit) and my general lack of direction, we miss about half of Snowblind's set, but what we hear is pretty impressive. Billing themselves as a thrash band, Snowblind are actually a far more eclectic bunch than that tag normally implies.Owing more to bands like Voivod and latter day Entombed than Metallica or Slayer, the young trio forge a sound that's progressive but accessible, managing to fit in some bizarre arrangements and pin-wheeling through time changes like nobody's business.An excellent cover of Metallica's 'Blackened' rounds out an excellent set,one which marks Snowblind as ones to watch.<br />
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<i>Snowblind.Melting faces.</i></div>
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Beltbuckler Overdrive are next, and waste no time getting into the party spirit . Frontman Matt Smith is an engaging presence, riling up the crowd and getting down on the floor to get in their faces once or twice, and the band's driving,Southern-flavoured hard rock is the perfect accompaniment to some beer-doused head banging. The band themselves are , as ever, tight as hell, and blast through their set like men possessed. The highlight, for this Nihilist anyway, is a cover of Kyuss' classic 'Green Machine', drummer Alejandro Cruz nailing every one of Brant Bjork's fills expertly.<br />
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<i>Beltbuckle Overdrive:just out of shot, loaded war machine.</i></div>
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And so on to the head-liners. Looking around the tiny basement venue, everyone seems to be wearing a Marabou hoody or shirt, and the anticipation as the Wexford Three-piece take the stage is feverish to say the least.Not at all acquainted with their music,our curiosity is piqued , and we edge a little closer, wondering what all the fuss is about.It takes roughly one song for everything to be cleared up.Marabou are, as they say in my neck of the woods, the business.<br />
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<i>Marabou, do they even riff?Yes, yes they do.</i></div>
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Filtering the bellicose energy of sludge through a prism of post-hardcore, crust and progressive metal, the band's serrated riffing cuts through a slightly muddy sound mix and rips heads, with a blend of off kilter aggression and killer hooks.Much like Snowblind, they're a difficult band to pin down, but if you can picture Tool at their most aggressive jamming Nausea tunes while Poison Idea knife-shank The Melvins in the corner, you're halfway there in describing their sound. This is a band that has to be experienced live, and the only complaint we have about their set is it's far too short.Everyone gets involved in the carnage too, with our promoter tonight himself lobbing glow sticks around and leaping off speaker stacks ,while a small but still fairly vicious mosh pit breaks out just in front of us at a few random junctures.In a word:mental.<br />
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The rest of the night disappears in an alcoholic haze, but it has to be said, it's been a long time since I enjoyed a gig quite this much.The relaxed atmosphere and friendly vibe is a throwback to the teen years of yours truly, and to gigs organized in church halls and school basements, with the emphasis on the music and having a laugh as opposed to getting just shit faced(though there's plenty of that as well).A cracking night had, and we're eager to see what Facemelter has in store next . . . .<br />
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<b>Pictures courtesy of Aaron and Fallon/Facemelter Music Nights.</b><br />
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Stephen.<br />
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Check the bands out here:<br />
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<b>Snowblind</b><br />
<a href="http://snowblindireland.bandcamp.com/album/demos">http://snowblindireland.bandcamp.com/album/demos</a><br />
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<b>Beltbuckle Overdrive</b><br />
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<a href="http://www.reverbnation.com/beltbuckleoverdrive?page_view_source=facebook_app">http://www.reverbnation.com/beltbuckleoverdrive?page_view_source=facebook_app</a><br />
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<b>Marabou</b><br />
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<a href="http://www.reverbnation.com/maraboumusic?page_view_source=facebook_app">http://www.reverbnation.com/maraboumusic?page_view_source=facebook_app</a><br />
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Stephen<br />
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bornagainnihilist@gmail.com<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674847207486308393.post-12267198345332429472013-05-24T01:06:00.000+01:002013-05-24T01:14:36.419+01:00EP Review - Bite The Bullet- 'Bite The Bullet'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Location: Copenhagen, Denmark<br />
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Label:Bi-Location Records<br />
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Maybe it's a happy by-product of the digital age, where works of art that have been slaved over and hewn from the literal blood sweat and tears of their creators can be easily downloaded, chewed up and spat out by cretinous Justin Bieber fans, but it seems more and more bands in the stoner/doom/psyche underground are seeking to claw their way back to simpler, more analogous times, a time of Beat Club and bad hair dos,where tape and wax reigned supreme.Some bands of course pull this off better than others; for every Graveyard or Electric Taurus making great, authentic seventies tinged rock, there's ten dipshits in TopShop flares murdering the ghost of Mountain with their vicious caterwauling.Anyone remember Wolfmother?<br />
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Exactly.<br />
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Happily, Denmark's Bite The Bullet fall into the former camp, and on this self titled debut EP, one can hear an obvious affection for all things vintage, warm and fuzzy.A heady blend of styles , ranging from driving power pop to dramatic, fuzzed out rock freakouts, <i>Bite The Bullet </i> is a delight.Opener 'I Feel Love' is a stormer , a killer soul vocal welded to walls of Muff-bitten bass and reverb drenched piano.'Hit The Ground' is somewhere between a more laid back MC5 and the eclectic genius of garage rock icon Bobby Conn, while ' Space Drums' hints at the bellicose magic of prime The Doors.The production throughout is authentically rough and ready, this is no cheap nostalgia trip, and one can buzz off the fumes of burning amps and hot tape throughout.<br />
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Things get a little weirder on closer 'My Soul', a spacy psyche pop number with some wonderfully skewed vocals and over saturated guitar work that just begs to be played at full volume from an open top Cadillac while smoking some quality green and your lawyer in the side seat, advising you to take another hit because Las Vegas is just around the corner.Truly awesome stuff, and a band you'll surely be hearing more of.<br />
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Rating:8.5/10<br />
<br />
For fans of: Graveyard, Mountain, Deep Purple, The Doors<br />
<br />
Listen to them here:<a href="http://bitethebulletmusic.com/">http://bitethebulletmusic.com/</a><br />
<br />
Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BiteTheBulletRocks">https://www.facebook.com/BiteTheBulletRocks</a><br />
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Stephen<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674847207486308393.post-39996863882464340092013-05-08T15:12:00.000+01:002013-05-21T02:34:29.041+01:00Album Review - Diablo Strange 'Sordid Tales'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFN46R9CxwxnOMSCjmcVtaMVgf4ptnmAncOS1PdADMSan1muYWIQrpctqRpZIeHtNm7RduC09pOfAPGjgZ5H2YUbItly8GyszsEQtvT1H6KoZ-4ZJjT7xW7U4kQAr1sfODFzOlV_tLs94/s1600/Sordid+Tales+Album+Cover1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFN46R9CxwxnOMSCjmcVtaMVgf4ptnmAncOS1PdADMSan1muYWIQrpctqRpZIeHtNm7RduC09pOfAPGjgZ5H2YUbItly8GyszsEQtvT1H6KoZ-4ZJjT7xW7U4kQAr1sfODFzOlV_tLs94/s320/Sordid+Tales+Album+Cover1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Release Date: May 24th 2013<br />
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<br />
Diablo Strange formed in 2010 in an aim to make old school heavy metal with a modern twist, and in 2012 released a six track EP (get it here as a free download <a href="http://diablostrange.bandcamp.com/album/diablo-strange-ep">http://diablostrange.bandcamp.com/album/diablo-strange-ep</a> ).<br />
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Now comes their sophomore release, the amusingly titled <i>Sordid Tales , </i> eleven tracks of catchy stoner rock that puts one in mind of the likes of Red Fang and mid period Orange Goblin, particularly <i>Thieving From The House Of God. </i>Opener 'Brown Paper Bag' is an infectious,boogie tinged number which comes off like a drunker , less verbose Clutch, while the likes of 'The Drifter' and 'Borrowed Time' rock along on a raucous , whisky steeped groove.<br />
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So far ,so good then, but the problem with Diablo Strange is this: while by and large this is a strong collection of songs , and the band are clearly strong musicians and tight players, there are very few moments on the album that'll really reach out and grab you as being something special.That's not to say there aren't a few belters on here,there are: 'Evolution' being one highlight, a Goblin-esque stomper with a killer chorus,or the more melodic 'Greed', which has guitarist Marty Surette playing a blinder while frontman Matt Cormier dispenses with the throaty howl to reveal a surprisingly fine singing voice.<br />
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At the end of the day though, there's something just a little mannered about <i>Sordid Tales. </i>There's no doubt that it's an enjoyable listen, but it's not really one I can see myself returning to too often.The production is competent but not as aggressive and punchy as this kind of music demands, and the songs, while catchy and well played, aren't hugely memorable.A fun listen, but maybe not anything that'll blow your mind.<br />
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Rating: 6.5/10<br />
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For fans of :Clutch, Orange Goblin, Triggerman, Grifter, The Gentlemen Bastards<br />
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Bandcamp: <a href="http://diablostrange.bandcamp.com/">http://diablostrange.bandcamp.com/</a> <br />
Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DiabloStrange?fref=ts">https://www.facebook.com/DiabloStrange?fref=ts</a> <br />
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Stephen<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674847207486308393.post-63771883824632703062013-05-06T19:08:00.001+01:002013-05-22T01:52:04.189+01:00Download of the week - Valfader 'Whispers of Chaos'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSZ8s2KotMs7pmkI-p1IGBkwah_xF4HlTaRpKMvR1cZ4fKvQinpsEvv-atfHD5uMRUiesmm1QWXnYQiefbneLrnDZjB4TpnO4sWOofwzQ4VDRkUrZlkDAVZYnZaetRMBw58IFym1DZVUI/s1600/cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSZ8s2KotMs7pmkI-p1IGBkwah_xF4HlTaRpKMvR1cZ4fKvQinpsEvv-atfHD5uMRUiesmm1QWXnYQiefbneLrnDZjB4TpnO4sWOofwzQ4VDRkUrZlkDAVZYnZaetRMBw58IFym1DZVUI/s320/cover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Location:Bath/Bristol ,UK<br />
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Our download of the week this week comes from the fantastic Valfader, who have just unleashed the epic <i>Whsipers of Chaos, </i>four tracks of fuzzed out sludge/post metal brilliance which reference everything from Isis to latter day Taint to Sabbath.Describing themselves as "three guys with valved amps, big drums and heavy riffs" who "remember the good old days of big riffs and mind trips",expect them to become a key band in the UK and European sludge scene in the coming months.<br />
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Ste<br />
<br />
For fans of : Isis, Taint, Volva, Intronaut<br />
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Get it here: <a href="http://valfader.bandcamp.com/album/whispers-of-chaos">http://valfader.bandcamp.com/album/whispers-of-chaos</a> <br />
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Price:Name Your Price<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674847207486308393.post-63716236324044028332013-04-30T21:07:00.001+01:002013-04-30T21:07:45.243+01:00EP Review - Beef Supreme 'Royal Bitch'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Beef Supreme are a desert/stoner rock outfit from Phoenix , Arizona who deal in the sort of scuzzy , hard edged, driving rock that the likes of Fu Manchu and Fireball Ministry used to do so well.The band themselves are a happy by-product of the Bandcamp age, offering all their music as free downloads(try it sometime, all you fledgling teenage bands offering your music to me exclusively on a cassette tape and asking me to pay for the privilege, cheeky pups).<br />
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Having played together since 2007, the band have managed to forge a unique sound, a sort of proto-stoner-pop-rock hybrid, with front woman Niki Belgrande's soaring vocals welded to tar thick drop-tuned riffage , resulting in a heavy , infectious collection of hard rock songs that fall somewhere between the aggressive desert sound of <i>We Must Obey' </i>era Fu Manchu and the harder moments of Geordie legends The Wildhearts. Obviously Belgrande's vocals act as a unique selling point for the band, and although she's not the most diverse of vocalists, she holds her own, and it is refreshing to hear more of a female presence in a predominantly male dominated scene.Don't take to mean a softer approach in the slightest though, as this is probably one of the heavier weighted releases of this ilk you'll hear this year.In terms of production , things are played raw and fat free, Belgrande's fat, overpowering tone meshing wonderfully with the grisly overdriven bass noise of Macho Grande, the band making a hell of a noise for a trio.<br />
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All in all, this is one that might take a while to grow on you, but if you're in the mood for something a little unconventional that rocks like a bastard, you could do far worse than <i>Royal Bitch.</i><br />
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Rating:7/10<br />
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Release Date:June 4th<br />
For fans of :Fu Manchu, Slo-Burn,The Wildhearts, Fireball Ministry<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;"> Web Site:</span><a href="http://www.hailtothebeef.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;" target="_blank">http://www.hailtothebeef.com/</a><br />
Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BeefSupremeMetal">https://www.facebook.com/BeefSupremeMetal</a><br />
Twitter: <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;"> </span><a href="https://twitter.com/hailtothebeef" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/<wbr></wbr>hailtothebeef</a><br />
Soundcloud : <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;"> </span><a href="http://soundcloud.com/beefsupreme-2" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;" target="_blank">http://soundcloud.com/<wbr></wbr>beefsupreme-2</a><br />
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Stephen, BAN<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674847207486308393.post-27355479744659211142013-04-27T17:23:00.000+01:002013-04-27T17:23:26.185+01:00EP Review- Astralnaut -'In The Gaze Of The Gods' <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Release Date: April 2013<br />
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Formed a day before Halloween in 2011,Northern Irish bruisers Astralnaut have spent the last year and a half trampling venues underfoot with their monolithic sludge/stoner grooves, off the back of their excellent debut EP<b> </b><i><b>Back To The Bog</b> .</i>Relentless gigging and hard graft has resulted in the band scoring a support slot with US stoner titans Red Fang in the summer, an impressive feat for an outfit not even into their second year of existence.Now the quintet have unleashed their sophomore effort,<b> </b><i><b>In The Gaze Of Gods </b> </i>,five sublime tracks of bottom heavy, slo-mo loveliness , just in time for a smoked out, clammy Irish summer. With cans . . .obviously.<br />
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A heavier , more rounded offering than <b><i>Back to the</i> </b><i><b>Bog</b> , </i> <i><b>In The Gaze Of The Gods</b> </i>moves away from the blues infused Southern metal feel of the band's earlier output towards a sludgier, more downbeat sound, and is all the better for it.There's also the spectre of the darker side of grunge's glory days, the band channelling Alice In Chains and Life Of Agony almost as much as they do bands like Crowbar and Down.'<i>Arab Spring' </i> makes like a more belligerent Jerry Cantrell number , while '<i>The Oath</i>' could be a long forgotten off cut from <b> <i>River Runs Red </i></b>.The band's ace in the hole is 'vocalnaut'(sic) Thomas Mallion, whose ease in switching from throaty roar to a devilish Staley-esque croon and passionate delivery is at the heart of the band's brutal but infectious sound.Guitarists Pearse Donnelly and Gaz Treanor also put in their shift , merging crushing heaviness with a deft melodic touch , and an ear for an irritatingly catchy hook .EP highlight '<i>The Hallion' </i> is a prime example, torrents of doomy noise welded to an elephantine groove<i> </i>that simply slays.<br />
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<br />
.All in all, a fantastic effort, which bodes well for a full length.Those gentlemen from Portland had better watch their backs , is all we're sayin' , cos these hallions are out for the jugular. . .<br />
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Rating:9/10<br />
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For fans of : Down, COC, Alice In Chains, Crowbar, Druganaut<br />
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Get it here: <a href="http://astralnaut.bandcamp.com/">http://astralnaut.bandcamp.com/</a> <br />
<br />
Ste<br />
<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674847207486308393.post-22477538099333597432013-02-19T23:53:00.001+00:002013-02-19T23:53:48.510+00:00Album Review- Weed Priest - 'Self Titled'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZgCq47CdFoHbfHMRATCXMs21eI5p_fEFgp-aueFzb-knuIZkz1pikV_w4NC9nVLCkXjYr7ceCPv62-pGE6TLOPMaq1n2TQ_fprGZyEFtxNYP2lDhH94-kGlZtgWldOyQ64Osjw5RjENU/s1600/Weed+Priest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZgCq47CdFoHbfHMRATCXMs21eI5p_fEFgp-aueFzb-knuIZkz1pikV_w4NC9nVLCkXjYr7ceCPv62-pGE6TLOPMaq1n2TQ_fprGZyEFtxNYP2lDhH94-kGlZtgWldOyQ64Osjw5RjENU/s320/Weed+Priest.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Location: Galway,Ireland<br />
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Label:N/A<br />
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Release Date: 25/02/2013<br />
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Track Listing:<br />
<br />
1.Final Spell<br />
2.Erichtho<br />
3.Walpurgia<br />
4.Thy Kingdom Gone<br />
5.Weed Priest<br />
6.Day Of Reckoning<br />
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As a blogger, one will receive a lot of debut demos from different bands, and as a result start up some correspondence with them, and in a lot of cases, or at least I've found this to be the case, one finds themselves following some bands , charting their progression from something ramshackle but promising, into a band genuinely capable of making an impact in their particular scene.So it was with Galway stoner-doom trio Weed Priest.One of the earliest bands to be reviewed on Born Again Nihilist, their debut demo was hugely enjoyable ,if a little rough around the edges, with a production that was,to be kind,a wee bit under-cooked .However,I found myself revisiting it a fair few times, and wondering, given a bit more studio time etc, what the clearly talented three-piece could conjure up on a full length effort.Well, I may wonder no more, as just a couple of days ago, a small parcel came crashing through my letterbox, and contained within was a radioactive green- on- black slice of black magick. My sermon was begun . . .<br />
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From haunting opener 'Final Spell' onwards, it's immediately apparent that the Priest have stepped it up several dozen notches in terms of production from that aforementioned three track demo. Atmospheric but not overdone, with a surprisingly clean drum sound(minimal reverb,take note please you doom drum freaks) , and a stripped down approach to the recording of the guitars that lets the riffs breath.There are none of the usual tricks and effects laden on here, and the band are left to get on with the business of crushing you under a wall of demonic noise,extremely fucking slowly.<br />
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If one was looking for a comparison, it would probably be fair to say that the Weed Priest sound lays somewhere between the bellicose ,slo- mo bombast of Sleep at their best, and the queasy atmospherics of prime Electric Wizard. Tracks like 'Walpurgia' and 'Erictho' revel in their monotonous ,smoked out fury, vocalist Adam De Monlung half chanting,half roaring his vocal lines,not sounding a million miles away from Al Cisneros before he discovered Hare Krishnas and fell out with Pike. .This is a band that rock, but more in the geological sense ,as all the best doom does, riffs that pull like tectonic plates shifting, a ritual of hellish stoner vibes and devilishly dark grooves.De Monlung's guitar work is also excellent, and each lead break is compelling listening,his technique minimal but still affecting.The guitar tone is also perfectly judged, not overly awash with fuzz and all the usual tricks of the sludge/stoner/doom rabble, but still genuinely heavy,consistent and pleasingly raw.<br />
<br />
Weed Priest<i> </i> then, preaching the gospel of doom, and doing it right.Turn on, light up, play fucking loud.<br />
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Rating:8.5/10<br />
<br />
For fans of : Sleep, Electric Wizard, Cathedral, Mourning Beloveth, Rites<br />
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<br />
Buy it here: http://weedpriest.bandcamp.com/<br />
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/WeedPriest<br />
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bornagainnihilist@gmail.com<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674847207486308393.post-20437210342964562952013-02-12T22:33:00.001+00:002013-02-12T22:34:29.740+00:00EP Review - Dead Ranch -'Birds Of Pray'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada<br />
<br />
Record label: Unsigned<br />
<br />
Track Listing:<br />
<br />
1. Pheramone<br />
2.Attack Of The Sky Creatures<br />
3.Electric Yellow<br />
4.Konan<br />
5.Touch Fuzzy,Get Dizzy<br />
<br />
Formed in the wintery isolation of Winnipeg, Dead Ranch ply a brand of sludgy punk-metal with progressive flourishes that puts one in mind of countrymen Bison B.C's earlier works.'<i>Birds Of Pray' </i>is their debut effort, and has thus far garnered the band a considerable amount of attention in their home town,leading the young quartet to share a stage with Jucifer, and earned them a fair amount of radio play on local college radio to boot.The band are also currently preparing their debut full length with producer Jesse Garner(Bison B.C,Japandroids).<br />
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Opener 'Pheramone' starts things off promisingly, skewed, angular sludge riffs rocketing along on a mammoth groove, the band's rhythm section acquitting themselves well, and there's some interesting ideas going on here,the band offering nods to everything from crust to prog to hardcore punk.'Attack Of The Sky Creatures' is a little more straightforward, a stoner metal number that recalls early Black Tusk.'Electric Yellow' is a raucous hardcore tune that would sit easily alongside anything off the new Cancer Bats record,while 'Konan' is more of the same, a propulsive blaster that recalls Manchester psychos Raging Speedhorn at their most bloodthirsty.Closer 'Touch Fuzzy,Get Dizzy' however, is a different beast altogether.Opening with two or so minutes of assorted wind instruments, including the bizarre but never unwelcome addition of a didgeridoo, it spazzes out suddenly into vicious punk metal territory ,before going all Iron Monkey on us with a junked up stoner/doom outro.<br />
Bewildering stuff . . .<br />
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Of course, as has to be said, it's far from perfect.The production is noticeably demo quality,and at times the band are sometimes outpaced their own ambitions.But there is a refreshing sense of invention and energy here for a sludge demo, and with a proper producer at the helm, the band should produce something really special next time out.As it is, an enjoyable listen, and a band to keep an ear out for.<br />
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Rating: 6.5/10<br />
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For fans of: Bison B.C, Bacchus, Black Tusk, XII Boar, Kvelertak<br />
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Listen to/Download it here: http://deadranch.bandcamp.com/<br />
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/deadranch<br />
Twitter:https://twitter.com/deadranch<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674847207486308393.post-69828021435861596252013-01-24T23:49:00.000+00:002013-01-24T23:53:40.480+00:00Download of the week- Aleph Null- 'Belladonna EP/'Dale' EP<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9kql0BtD1Gw9E5SwghwSeqbFbCxQcKokd6skmHesEm3yZ482IozICFdEIGYGJWswuWM9Nt6xCJ068pSKJHmgsuj8RcsL-g2qMcsi0wr_d21fIh_pBGy9SRVplVH2bhiH6iRhKqz3YqpY/s1600/cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9kql0BtD1Gw9E5SwghwSeqbFbCxQcKokd6skmHesEm3yZ482IozICFdEIGYGJWswuWM9Nt6xCJ068pSKJHmgsuj8RcsL-g2qMcsi0wr_d21fIh_pBGy9SRVplVH2bhiH6iRhKqz3YqpY/s320/cover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Location:Germany(Cologne/Dusseldorf)<br />
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Ok so we're cheating a little bit here,as this is technically two releases.But when it's German sludge/prog titans Aleph Null we're talking about, we can surely bend (our own) rules a little.<i>'Belladonna</i>' is the latest effort by the the power trio, and contains within it four tracks of awesome psyche-tinged sludge metal, with the odd prog detour(the gorgeous instrumental 'Gagarin' being a prime example). The band's sound has gotten more expansive since debut offering 'Dale', with nods to space-rock and even drone embedded in their earth-shattering grooves, all overlaid with singer Philip's ethereal and unique melodic vocals.Already a strong contender for our end of year Top Ten, and free to download to boot . . .<br />
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And of course, speaking of that debut . . . '<i>Dale</i>' has also been marked as a free download, the perfect time to either revisit, or if you haven't had the privilege yet, to discover for the first time possibly one of the most compelling bands in the underground sludge scene.One of last year's standout releases, '<i>Dale</i>' is the more accessible of the two EPs, the band marrying tar thick , sludge riffing to grungy vocals and a sense of atmosphere seldom found on similar releases.Essential listening,for any right thinking fan of heavy music.<br />
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Get them here:<br />
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http://alephnull.bandcamp.com/album/belladonna-ep<br />
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Price:Free!<br />
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http://alephnull.bandcamp.com/album/dale-ep<br />
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Price:Free!<br />
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bornagainnihilist@gmail.com<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674847207486308393.post-57444747947732040032013-01-15T23:44:00.004+00:002013-01-15T23:48:56.691+00:00Album Review- Giza -'Future Ruins'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Location: Seattle , WA,USA<br />
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Label: N/A<br />
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Track Listing:<br />
1. Seance<br />
2. Wake and Drag<br />
3.Interlude<br />
4.Hour Of The Bullfight<br />
5.Roaming Hordes<br />
6.Great Leader<br />
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A self described 'Instrumental,Apocalyptic Sludge Metal' trio from that hallowed birthplace of grunge and Frasier, Giza's <i>Future Ruins</i> was recorded by none other than Matt Bayles , he of Mastodon, Isis and Botch fame,and is probably one of the finest examples we've heard in months of exploratory, blissed out post-metal/sludge.<br />
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What strikes one is just how MASSIVE Giza sound despite only a three piece, helped in part by Bayles' trademark widescreen production values, that rendered already brilliant albums like <i>Leviathan </i>as<i> </i>modern classics.Every element of the instrumentation ,particularly the bass,is flawlessly mastered, and ,it has to be said, guitarist Richard Burkett's tone is to die for.As for the songs themselves, the general mood that pervades is not so much one unbearable apocalyptic tension as it is one of meditative, textured nuance ,and a genuine and practiced sense of melancholy other bands of a similar ilk seem to struggle to attain.<br />
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That's not to say the band can't rock out with the best of them.Witness 'Hour of The Bullfight' , which could easily be an instrumental off-cut from Baroness' classic <i>Red , </i>or the manner in which 'Great Leader' ebbs and flows with an uneasy, feedback drenched menace.<br />
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One criticism that could be thrown at Giza of course would be that we've heard all this kind of cinematic gloom before, from bands like Isis and Pelican,but quite frankly, when a collection of songs is this well written, recorded and performed, a slight lack of originality can be forgiven.A worthy journey ,and one that'll reward repeat listens.<br />
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Rating: 7.5/10<br />
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For fans of: Isis, Pelican, A Storm Of Light, People Of The Monolith<br />
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Listen to/buy the album here: http://giza.bandcamp.com/<br />
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Stephen O' Connor<br />
bornagainnihilist@gmail.com<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674847207486308393.post-74446305535294823602013-01-08T23:14:00.001+00:002013-01-08T23:14:24.033+00:00Album Review- o.d.r.a - 'Karl Denke Blues'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Location: Wroclaw, Poland<br />
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Label: BSFD Records<br />
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o.d.r.a hail from Wroclaw in Poland, which Wikipedia tells us is the fourth largest city in Poland, and has been selected as the European capital of culture in 2016,and is soon to be host to events such as the 2014 men's volleyball world championships.However, one might advise the powers that be that it might be pertinent to make sure these Southern sludge psychos have no hometown gigs penciled in around either event, so as to avoid upsetting some of the more delicate visitors to the historical capital of Silesia.These boys aren't fucking about, this is some seriously heavy, twisted shit.<br />
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From opener 'Widelec Heretyka' onward, the band do their level best to pummel the listener into a kind of nauseous, giddy pulp, through some of the most disgustingly groovy Southern-fried stoner-doom riffage we've heard around these parts.Over riffs that pull like tank tracks, singer Chudy Byk proceeds to lose his shit in terrifying fashion, his demonic howl making Mike IX of Eyehategod sound like nothing more than a temperamental toddler in comparison.Comparisons to the NOLA sludge legends are apt and unavoidable, however, o.d.r.a summon enough of their own rancorous energy to avoid sounding like a mere facsimile.<br />
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Much like their aforementioed spiritual New Orleans godfathers, the band suck in influences from old school doom, hardcore, crust, and sludge to create a sound that is at once oppressive and addictive.Take the title track, with it's elephantine central riff ,or the catchy as all fuck 'Zdzivca'y Lump' , with it's gloriously tongue in cheek gang chants, as just two examples that as well as being able to rape your ears with a barrage of hateful noise, the quintet can also write a banging heavy metal tune.In their punky exuberance combined with leaden,evil grooves, the band also evoke memories of another legendary sludge outfit, Iron Monkey,their nihilistic,bombastic riffathons begging to be blared as the soundtrack to a three day bender involving shitloads of whiskey, some class A narcotics, and access to dynamite(for duck huntin') .Quality from start to finish.<br />
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Rating:8.5/10<br />
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For fans of : Eyehategod, Iron Monkey, Weedeater, Rites<br />
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Buy the album here: <a href="mailto:bsfd.records@gmail.com" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" target="_blank">bsfd.records@gmail.com</a><br />
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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/odraband/info<br />
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Stephen O ' Connor<br />
<br />
bornagainnihilist@gmail.com <br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674847207486308393.post-72014510849481717102013-01-08T01:11:00.002+00:002013-01-08T01:14:11.200+00:00Single Review -Heavy Glow- 'Mine All Mine'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAElp3b0TglOlGswcfYGLo2_hg_RrfX0X_qC_bSwGU6r7_zzbVVijga6-8mz6JnKAhyh3q2xj2pn3WfWcRNf9EW3epZvUmWsU9CoUavayG59LWahuHYnGyACb92Qu566kiPpoAusJbVtE/s1600/Heavy+Glow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAElp3b0TglOlGswcfYGLo2_hg_RrfX0X_qC_bSwGU6r7_zzbVVijga6-8mz6JnKAhyh3q2xj2pn3WfWcRNf9EW3epZvUmWsU9CoUavayG59LWahuHYnGyACb92Qu566kiPpoAusJbVtE/s320/Heavy+Glow.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Location: San Diego,CA,USA<br />
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Label: Purge Records (U.S) <br />
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Track listing: 'Mine all Mine'/' Headhunter'<br />
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Californian psyche-blues trio Heavy Glow have been busy as bunnies in heat it seems.A mammoth US tour which kicks off in less than two days and now a brand new single, showcasing ,it has to be said, a softer side to the San Diego outfit than heard on most recent full length '<i>Midnight Moan' .</i>And while that may sound slightly dismissive , it's actually quite a welcome new direction.Lead track 'Mine All Mine' is a propulsive ,poppy garage rock number that showcases frontman Jared Mullins' honey dipped vocals perfectly, the band leaning,it seems, more towards the classic sounds of Motown and there's even a nod to some of the Beach Boys' more straightforwardly rockin' moments, albeit only subtly.<br />
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The psuedo-Motown vibe becomes slightly more apparent on B-Side 'Headhunter', actually the stronger track here as it turns out.Some fantastic lead playing by Mullins is complimented by a ballsy, solid turn from the bassist Joe Brooks and Michael Amster.Imagine, if you will , the Black Keys jamming with Ike and Tina's rhythm section,and that might sum up 'Headhunter'. A welcome injection of sex into a dull,cold January night, and possibly the most addictive thing you'll hear this year to boot.<br />
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Rating:8/10 <br />
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For fans of: The Black Keys, The Bellrays ,The Raconteurs, The Bonnevilles<br />
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Listen to it here: https://soundcloud.com/heavyglowmusic/mine-all-mine<br />
<br />
Stephen O' Connor<br />
<br />
bornagainnihilist@gmail.com<br />
<br />
<br />
Those tour dates:<br />
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<div style="background-color: #eeeef3; color: #222222; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
Jan 10 The Rogue Bar----------Scottsdale, AZ</div>
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Jan 11 Hotel Monte Vista------Flagstaff, AZ</div>
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Jan 13 The Cheyenne Saloon----Las Vegas, NV</div>
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Jan 15 Johnny B's-------------Medford, OR</div>
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Jan 16 The Nectar Lounge------Seattle, WA</div>
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Jan 17 East End---------------Portland, OR</div>
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Jan 18 Cloud and Kelly's------Corvallis, OR</div>
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Jan 19 The Alibi--------------Arcata, CA</div>
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Jan 23 Hotel Utah Saloon------San Francisco, CA</div>
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Jan 24 Audie's Olympic--------Fresno, CA</div>
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Jan 25 Shea's Tavern----------Reno, NV</div>
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Jan 26 Whiskey Dick's Saloon--South Lake Tahoe, CA</div>
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Jan 27 Sandrini's-------------<wbr></wbr>Bakersfield, CA</div>
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Jan 28 The Roxy---------------Los Angeles, CA</div>
<span style="background-color: #eeeef3; color: #222222; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;">Jan 29 The Soda Bar-----------San Diego, CA</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0