Album Review-King Bong-'Space Shanties'

Location:Milan, Italy

Label:Moonlight Records

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 'Space Shanties', 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.

From the chorus drenched intro to 'Even Fifty Foot Hamsters Have Feelings'  to the closing, burnt out squall of the penultimate 'Cthulu', 'Space Shanties'  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. . .

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.


Rating:8.5/10

For fans of: Stinking Lizaveta, Prehistoric Pigs, Summer Baccanalia, Jimi Hendrix

Album Review- Prehistoric Pigs- 'Wormhole Generator'

Location: Italy

Label: Moonlight Records

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 "enslave humans with our music."

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.

'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, 'Wormhole Generator'   is a trip, and a reminder that instrumental music isn't all ASIWYFA and Enemies.Unmissable.

Rating: 8/10

For fans of : Karma To Burn, Kyuss, Asteroid, Dead Meadow

Listen/Buy It Here:http://prehistoricpigs.bandcamp.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PrehistoricPigs/info?ref=ts

Stephen

bornagainnihilist@gmail.com

Spotlight:Great Albums You Might Have Missed- Electric Taurus-'Veneralia'

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. . . .

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 'Volume 4'  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. 

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 . .  .

Stephen O' Connor.

Born Again Nihilist.

bornagainnihilist@gmail.com

EP Review - Bite The Bullet- 'Bite The Bullet'

Location: Copenhagen, Denmark

Label:Bi-Location Records

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?

Exactly.

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, Bite The Bullet  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.

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.

Rating:8.5/10

For fans of: Graveyard, Mountain, Deep Purple, The Doors

Listen to them here:http://bitethebulletmusic.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BiteTheBulletRocks

Stephen

Album Review - Diablo Strange 'Sordid Tales'

Release Date: May 24th 2013


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 http://diablostrange.bandcamp.com/album/diablo-strange-ep ).

Now comes their sophomore release, the amusingly titled Sordid Tales ,  eleven tracks of catchy stoner rock  that puts one in mind of the likes of Red Fang and mid period Orange Goblin, particularly Thieving From The House Of God. 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.

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.

At the end of the day though, there's something just a little mannered about Sordid Tales. 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.

Rating: 6.5/10

For fans of :Clutch, Orange Goblin, Triggerman, Grifter, The Gentlemen Bastards

 Bandcamp: http://diablostrange.bandcamp.com/ 
 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DiabloStrange?fref=ts 

Stephen

Download of the week - Valfader 'Whispers of Chaos'

Location:Bath/Bristol  ,UK

Our download of the week this week comes from the fantastic Valfader, who have just unleashed the epic Whsipers of Chaos, 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.

Ste

For fans of : Isis, Taint, Volva, Intronaut

Get it here: http://valfader.bandcamp.com/album/whispers-of-chaos 

Price:Name Your Price

Album Review- Weed Priest - 'Self Titled'

Location: Galway,Ireland

Label:N/A

Release Date: 25/02/2013

Track Listing:

1.Final Spell
2.Erichtho
3.Walpurgia
4.Thy Kingdom Gone
5.Weed Priest
6.Day Of Reckoning

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 . . .

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.

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.

Weed Priest  then, preaching the gospel of doom, and doing it right.Turn on, light up, play fucking loud.

Rating:8.5/10

For fans of : Sleep, Electric Wizard, Cathedral, Mourning Beloveth, Rites


Buy it here: http://weedpriest.bandcamp.com/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/WeedPriest

bornagainnihilist@gmail.com

Album Review- Zippo 'Maktub'

Not a country known for it's unbelievable rock output in the past, it seems there is a small , but well formed scene of interesting hard rock and psyche bands coming from Italy, with bands like The Whirlings, Ephel Duath and now Pescara based progsters Zippo leading the charge for a wave of Mediterranean flavoured  monolithic riffs and balls to the wall guitar wizardry.

And we'll be damned if it's not one of the freshest , most vital records to be released this year.The third album from Zippo, 'Maktub' is produced by Victor Love , with mastering duties handled by one James Plotkin, who has worked with such underground legends as Sunno ))) and Isis, and shows the band weaving a tantalising web of intricate songwriting ,deft and clever riffing and sonic experimentation, as well as moments of  pure rock fury a la Mastodon and Baroness.Opener ' The Personal Legend' is a rousing blend of drop tuned , sledgehammer sludge riffing and spacey, glacial melodies, it's bizarre time changes and skittering , funk tinged riffing recalling a more sludgy Rush.' The Omens' is an epic blend of Tool style soaring melodies, and riffing battery, while 'Caravan To Your Destiny' impresses just as much with it's minimal stark guitar work and epic , eastern influenced melodies.

The band's talent lies in taking the traditional forms of grunge , sludge and hard rock, and twisting them into unrecognisable shapes, with tempos constantly changing, bizarre guitar effects , and cleverly sung vocal passages from singer David that recall Maynard James Keenan at his most exploratory.Album highlight 'Simum' meanwhile showcases the band's knack of creating a sense of spacey menace, that evokes long gone and much missed Louisiana psychos Acid Bath. But comparisons are mostly futile, as Zippo with 'Maktub' are very much forging their own path ,and it has to be said that this is perhaps one of the most confident and energetic albums to emerge from the heavy rock underground this year.Passionate and raw but yet technically fascinating and always with a feverish invention at play, expect these guys to make waves in the rock underground in 2012.

Rating:9/10
For fans of: Tool ,Baroness, Totimoshi, Acid Bath, Kylesa
Listen here: http://www.zippomusic.it/
Stephen O ' Connor
bornagainnihilist@gmail.com

Underground Classic - Iron Monkey 'Our Problem' -Earache 1997

Formed in Nottingham in 1994 , and named after a seminal Kung Fu flick, Iron Monkey  , although only having a short , and somewhat troubled five year run as a band proper, are a band nevertheless deserving of their place in sludge/doom history.Apart from the member's pedigree and accomplishments since the split ,with various members of the band going on to play in bands such as Electric Wizard and Capricorns, during their short existence the band managed to make a couple of cracking albums, and it's their 1997 Earache release, 'Our Problem', that gets the Underground Classic treatment today.

The band's key sound mainly lay in the sludge rock  that bands such as Electric Wizard and Eyehategod did and do continute to propagate, with a notable Sabbath influence, evidenced particularly  by the band's homage to 'Hole In The Sky' 's muffled yell on album opener 'Bad Year'.However, Iron Monkey were as much about rocking out  as they were doomy drones, and in tracks like 'Boss Keloid' and 'House Anxiety', the band's love of old school english hardcore bands such as Discharge and Crass shines through , along with a sense of groove that recalls some of Motorhead's more fired up early  moments.'I .R.M.S' meanwhile  is an exploration of pure molten evil , the band locked into a killer swampy death groove that nags at the cerebellum long after you've hit stop.'Golden Rules' is  all Cathedral esque guitar pomp, while closer 'Joint Spiritual Whip' rivals anything off Electric Wizard's seminal 'Dopethrone' record for sheer , monged out nod along stoner metal riffing.All the while, late, great singer Johnny Morrow grunts and howls like a man going to hell in a handbasket, as the band create an irrestible wall of noise around him.

What perhaps sets 'Our Problem ' apart from other albums in a similar vein however is the production.Put simply, it's excellent, the guitars clear and rich, with a tone that Iommi himself would be proud of, ,not   to mention an excellent drum sound,  and  I would dare say it's a joy to listen to even if it's not your taste in music, just to hear how a doom record SHOULD sound.Add to this the band's clear talent as songwriters, and the fact that not one moment , even during the epic 20 minute blast of 'Joint Spiritual Whip',  feels wasted or thrown in, and you have a true sludge classic, no bullshit, just dope jams to soundtrack a few cans of cheap cider and a sneaky soapbar spliff.

Morrow's passing in 2002 after suffering a heart attack sadly spelled the end to any hope of a proper reunion, so unfortunately it's all about the band's recorded output these days.So out of respect for the man , light up a three skin, crank the fucking bass, and be blown away by the sound of Iron Monkey.