ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE - "NEW GEOCENTRIC WORLD"
[ CD -
Released ]
This is the eighth full-length from the Japanese acid/psych collective known as the
Acid Mothers Temple & Melting Paraiso U.F.O. They are led by prolific guitarist/violinist/bouzoukist/multi-instrumentalist/guru
Kawabata Makoto. He is without question one of the most important figures in
acid/psych music today and "New Geocentric World" is a great place to catch on to
what he and Acid Mothers Temple are doing.
What are they doing? Everything, and sometimes all at once! Track one, "Psycho Buddha" is an earsplitting 21+ minute
cacophony of crazed electric guitar played in Makoto's own "speed-psychedelic" style
layered over a wall of frenetic bass and drums, space transmissions, the ghost voices
of the deceased, random blips and weirdness, and anything else that can be squeezed
out of electronic equipment. "Psycho Buddha" is one of the defining moments in the
entire AMT catalog to date. Track two, "Space Age Ballad" shows the other side of
Makoto and AMT, a chanted, drony, all-acoustic psych musing that harkens back to Red
Krayola and the other truly psychedelic innovators of the 60's.
The rest of the album falls somewhere in between these two extremes, but always with the completely off the
wall sounds and songwriting that make this music psychedelic in the true and literal
sense of the word. Instruments include: guitars, basses, drums, synthesizers,
saxophones, peacock harp, bouzouki, jew's harp and much much more. Free your mind!
drew
ASTROQUEEN - "INTO SUBMISSION"
[ CD - Pavement Music ]
Here is a new work from the Swedish Kyuss sound-a-likes. Another example of
who their favorite band must be. Luckily enough, the fourpiece did a killer
job on the vocals and melodies, and that justifies "Into Submission's" release.
Check "Out Of This World" for instance. Great track. The riffs
are predictable and the songs are quite average, but Daniel Anghede's vocal
sound and intensity saves this record from drowning in a gray ocean of
too-similar bands.
xander77
BAD WIZARD - "FREE AND EASY"
[ CD - TeePee Records ]
Being one of New York best kept secrets, Bad Wizard serves up a platter of
full throttle, head on, ass kickin' rawk 'n roll. Just think of MC5 and
Cactus having an all out drinkin' binge with AC/DC, while selling their
souls to the devil to become the xxx-injected-almighty-motor-city-rock-infected.
In a scant thirty minutealbum, there's a blistering orgy of sweaty bass lines, thunderous
drumming, duel guitar attacks and Southern preacher-man howls and a batch of
explosive, high octane fueled songs. Everything to make the characteristic
well-oiled and soulful street-rawk-sound of "Free and Easy", the band's
scorchin' debut. Bad Wizard has proven that true spirit of rock on roll is
still alive. Hell yeah!
walter
BEATEN BACK TO PURE - "SOUTHERN APOCALYPSE"
[ CD - Retribute Records ]
Besides sporting one of the best band names in recent memory, Beaten Back to
Pure kick all kinds of ass where it counts, on the disc. They come across as
a mixture of High on Fire-style relentless riffing mixed with HEAVY southern
rock grooving and topped off with the most tortured, ripped-throat death
vocals ever. Seriously, singer Ben is unlikely to have a long career if he
keeps killing his esophagus this way.
The music slays with its reverence for space and sustained chords and the occasional
twin leads are a great surprise. Imagine if Eyehategod took speed and didn't have any feedback, and
you get a sense of Beaten Back to Pure's guitar sound. The south has
risen...
drew
BEGOTTEN -
"S/T"
[ CD - Man's Ruin/
Begottenrock.com ]
Hailing from New York City, it's fitting that Begotten are the last band to appear
on Man's Ruin Records, because they deliver the Doom. Having a sick, heavy-chugging,
thick and ripping sound (with odd parts of psychedelica thrown in), the bands doomy
leanings are reminiscent of Electric Wizard, Sleep and The Melvins. Songs
like "Electric Hell" are Begotten's version of environmental devastation
while "Garabeds Freedom" is for all the Armenians killed in 1915 by Muslim Turks
(the genocide against guitarist Matthew Anselmo's ancestors).
"Survive", detonating in the breakdown, is a standout track for inducing
self realization. The overall sound of Begotten's s/t debut
is dark, pained and tortured and shows that the three-piece isn't just another
example of who their favorite band must be. [side note: Begotten is still looking
for a label to put out their album].
walter
CELESTIAL SEASON -
"SONGS FROM THE SECOND FLOOR"
[ 10" - Drunken Maria Records ]
"Songs From the Second Floor" is my favorite Celestial Season release. It falls just
behind the near classic "Chrome". On the opening song "Room 210", CS uses short,
choppy riffs and loads of distortion on the guitars and vocals to augment a really
catchy song. One thing is certain, these dutchmen can write a catchy rock song. Their
last effort was the decidedly commercial "Lunchbox Dialogues" which was decent but
was missing too much of what the band does best and that is -- ROCK.
Big simple riffs with hook-filled melodies, loads of distortion and great singing,
that is the strength of their really good albums "Orange" and "Chrome" and
happily it returns for this four song preview of the new album. "Morning Theft" has
a big, overdriven guitar sound that lets the vocals soar over it to great effect. An
enormous, plodding outro with acid guitar solos seems to be a sign that the
commercially friendly CS is taking a back seat to a harder, more jam oriented sound.
Or maybe they see the 10" as a great place to put these tracks that don't really fit
their album. We'll just have to wait and see on that one.
"Watching The Fuss" is a fuzzy, happy sounding number that would have been at home
on "Lunchbox Dialogues". Album closer "Saturday (Wanna Go For A Ride?)" is an almost
space rock sounding heavy jam with some killer unison riffing. A blasting, heavy ride
that cooks along at a speed that would make you be sure to fasten your safety belts
before taking them up on their offer. It comes across a bit like a super heavy
version of a 35007 opus. Yeah, this is good stuff. Real good.
drew
COUNTERSHAFT -
"2K1"
[ CD - www.countershaft.net ]
Without a doubt, this is one of best sounding, well-developed demo's that I've ever
heard. This Virginia four piece calls themselves a "heavy thinker's heavy band". That
suits them very well, as they combine a number of well thought out ideas into three
deceptively heavy songs. There is a definite post-industrial vibe, especially in the
machine-like vocals and dark brooding bass.
The metal edge comes from the drumming, which is rock solid and incredibly heavy, and the guitars that alternate between
throwing down thick power chords and quirky colorations. The originality here makes it extremely difficult to compare them to other bands
sound-wise, but there seems to be as much Prong as Sabbath and a tiny bit of Tool
atmosphere as well. A promising debut and a tantalizing tease.
drew
DESERT SESSIONS - "DESERT SESSIONS 7 & 8"
[ CD - Southern Lord/Rekords
Rekords ]
The latest installment in the Desert Sessions series from Josh Homme. These records
represent Josh's non-Kyuss/QOTSA side and feature many guest artists and many
different kinds of music, most of which is of the strangely silly variety. In fact,
it seems to be shot through with in-jokes that are only apparent to Josh's close
friends and musical partners in crime. That insures they don't have a broad appeal,
and musically they were often pointless and perplexing. I haven't really ever
listened to any of these records more than once except for the "Volume 1" which
featured some very listenable (if goofy) improv. space rock.
I'm very happy to report that "Desert Sessions 7 & 8" is the first one I've liked
since then. "Vol.7 & 8" has a distinctly psych/pop feel to many songs. It's
reminiscent of "Hunky Dory"-era David Bowie with elements of Indian or
middle-eastern music mixed in. The main improvement over past volumes is that
the songs are more solid, though still strange, and the records have a slightly
more uniform feel that makes it listenable as an album rather than a collection of
random tracks. Still, this is probably only for the very broadminded, the very
silly and Josh Homme completists.
drew
DIXIE WITCH - "INTO THE SUN"
[ CD - Brainticket
Records ]
A spectacular debut from this super heavy southern trio. An album filled with great
songs, enormous variety, and emotion that you can feel through the speaker. One
remarkable feature of "Into the Sun" is that it manages to capture some of the
intensity of their incredible live show, although there is no way to fully translate
the energy and superlative talent of drummer/vocalist Trinidad Leal. "Into the Sun"
is a combination of 70's hard rock, crushing Sabbath riffing, southern fried rock and
classic jamming. The funny thing is that the Witch don't come off as strictly a retro
band though. The power, sound and occasionally METAL riffing keeps it from being a
straight throwback experience.
The album opener and title track has a catchy, crushing riff that WILL have banging
your head, even if you aren't a headbanger. "Throwin' Shapes" sounds like Jane's
Addiction on steroids after listening to Molly Hatchett for a month. "CC" is
Motorhead doing southern rock, and highlight track "Freewheel Rollin'" serves up an
amazing 12+ minutes of jamming bliss. Another standout is the excellent Joe Walsh
song, "Bomber" which is given the workout of a lifetime here by guitarist Clayton
Mills. The quality of musicianship on this record, as well as the great songwriting,
set these guys head and shoulders above most of their peers. If you like any of the
elements described in this review, I strongly urge you to purchase this disc.
drew
DEVILLAC/TRANSONIC SCIENCE - SPLIT CD
[ CD - Daredevil
Records ]
Four songs from Finland's Devillac and six from Germany's Transonic Science. The good
news for Devillac is that they are NOT "yet another scandinavian Kyuss-clone".
The bad news is that instead they sound a whole lot like Queens of the Stone Age.
OK, OK, they do have a bit of a space rock vibe, but from the angular, heavy-indie
riffs to the laidback-to-bored vocals, this is QOTSA-flavored all the way. The singer
is better than Josh Homme, so that is a plus, but ultimately this stuff fails to
make a convincing case for its necessity.
Transonic Science have a decided stoner/indie/grunge (think "Lunchbox Dialogues"-era
Celestial Season) vibe that makes them pretty good. The singing is above average, the
sound is somewhat original and if they honed their songwriting, this would be a
band to keep an eye on. As it is, they are hit and miss. Tracks like "Solar Love"
and "Blane the Mono" hit by showing a distinct uniqueness in combining indie rock
and grunge with their stoner. The intense Alice Cooper-ish vocals are particularly
good on "Solar Love". On the other hand, they miss with the straight linear
soft-to-loud build up of "Yeah She Said", the blatant Kyuss copy "Brand New Swallow
Machine" and the stilted bassline of "Nidation".
drew
DOC HOLLIDAY - "A BETTER ROAD"
[ CD -
Record Heaven Music ]
Southern rockers Doc Holliday gained cult status during the early 80's with
a batch of excellent albums. "A Better Road", due out on classic rock label,
Record Heaven Music, harks back to their most successful period. Among
the songs are three never released tracks from that era, a hard-rockin'
version of Thin Lizzy's "Jailbreak" and some remastered and reworked
versions of classic Doc Holliday tunes. I have to admit that I'm not
familiar with the originals of songs like "Lonesome Guitar", "Bad Love" and
"Good Boy Gone", but these soulful tracks suit my taste for southern rock.
I'll file "A Better Road" down south next to my Allman Brothers and The
Outlaws collection.
walter
FOOZ -
"S/T"
[ CD -
Custom Heavy Records/Alone Records ]
This contemporary Spanish band is seeking to return to the days of Captain Beyond,
Hawkwind and early Pink Floyd. They combine fairly straight forward blues rock, with
some psychedelic sound effects and space rock synthesizer sounds. The songs are solid
and catchy, the vocals are pretty good (reminiscent of a slightly higher pitched
Captain Beyond) and the production is well mixed, if a little bit thin. The factors
keeping me from giving this an all-out positive review is that the psychedelia is a
bit tame and the whole thing sounds a bit rehashed. It's enormously well done and
obviously heartfelt, but doesn't really make me want to listen to it instead the
originals that it mimics, like "Doremi Fasol Latido" by Hawkwind or the self titled
Captain Beyond album.
It also lapses into cheesy ballad soft rock on "Smoke is Over" and "Mine", although
"Mine" does have middle eastern instrumentation that nearly rescues it. Also, the
last two tracks are somewhat pointless "psychedelic" soundscape numbers and seem
tacked on to the rest of the album which is much more straight ahead. Incorporating
these elements into their other songs rather than sticking them at the end of the
record would have made a positive difference.
drew
FU MANCHU -
"CALIFORNIA CROSSING"
[ CD -
Mammoth Records ]
Original stonerrockers Fu Manchu return with a new album named after their home state. I feel
that they had something to prove after the rather by-the-numbers "King Of The Road".
In fact, the Man's Ruin "Eatin' Dust" 10" didn't do much for me either, with the
exception of the ultra dirty "Pigeon Toe". When I got the record, I wasn't especially
happy to see that "Mongoose" (from "Eatin' Dust") was making a reappearance on
"California Crossing". So it was with great skepticism that I spun up the first
cut, "Separate Kingdom"... and was knocked on my ass! What a great track! One
long-standing criticism of Fu Manchu is that Scott Hill can't sing properly and
therefore sounds the same album after album. On "Separate Kingdom" he does some
actual singing in the chorus and it sounds just fine.
The band have honed and polished their AC/DC-like riffing style (and don't forget
Brant's cowbell!) so that it is wide open and completely catchy. "...Kingdom"
is close to the ultimate realization of Fu's musical vision, and it slays.
Could this be the song that gets them onto FM rock radio? We'll see. Unfortunately,
the next cut "Hang On" doesn't live up to the lofty heights of the opener, but only
because Hill reverts back to the non-singing style of old. A nifty keyboard riff
(believe it or not!) and well-placed breakdown highlight this track. Other highlights
include "Thinkin' Out Loud", which has an insanely catchy riff, the shamelessly '80s
sounding (is that Eddie Van Halen at the beginning?) "Wiz Kid", and the great
instrumental "The Wasteoid". On the downside are "Mongoose" (which seems unchanged
from it's previous incarnation), and the choruses to "California Crossing" and
"Downtown in Dogtown".
On the whole, this Fu is NEW!. Poppier, catchier less distorted. Don't worry though,
long time fans will still find everything they expect from Fu Manchu. The band's
best release since "In Search Of..."
drew
GOLIATH -
"THE GATE"
[ CD - The Music
Cartel ]
A strangely lifeless slice of Black Sabbath worship tempered with elements
of cheese. The songs just plod along at mid-tempo without any changes, and
then there are a number of too long and irrelevant samples that further kill
the momentum. The vocals are pretty good, but the music is so lifeless, that
it doesn't matter.
According to their website www.goliathrocks.com, the song
"The Gate" was on top of the mp3.com Stoner/Doom charts for a year. If so,
that means one of two things: either the people who vote on this poll have
no taste, or the band voted themselves into the top slot. "The Gate" is one
of the most boring songs on an album of boring songs. If you like Christian
metal (yes, they are overtly christian...) I would stick with Trouble or
Zao. Goliath are likely to make you want to turn to the "dark side".
drew
GRAND MAGUS -
"S/T"
[ CD - Rise Above
Records ]
After a very successful split single with Spiritual Beggars on Southern
Lord, Doom-blues power trio Grand Magus see their self titled debut album
issued through Rise Above Records/The Music Cartel. Obsessed with classic
hardrock, and lyrically inspired by war, struggle, revenge and the power of
determination, these Swedish heavyweights unleash a slab of pure 'black
magic rock.'
Featuring crushing riffs, laid back grooves, brutal hooks, blues-laden solos
and emotional vocals by Janne, the eponymous 'Grand Magus' is from start to
finish a doomy blues fest. The songwriting is inventive and there's a nice,
dry, wood-like quality to the sound. Fans of Spiritual Beggars (Janne will
be doing vocals on their forthcoming album), Spirit Caravan, The Obsessed and Internal
Void will simply love this album, as it sets Grand Magus apart from the
average doom band. A most promising debut by one of the finest newcomers on
the scene.
walter
GREENWOOD -
"HORUS ON THE HORIZON"
[ CD -
12th Planet Music ]
"Horus on the Horizon" is the debut by Canadian stoners Greenwood. The Toronto
fourpiece made sure they'd cover the whole stonerrock spectrum on this CD. In the
dramatic and great opener "Morphine", guitarist Greg, drummer Steve, bassplayer Gary
and singer Mark Faulkner sound like QOTSA, while on tracks like "Cosmic Rebirth" and
"Supra Song", the influences are more in the vein of Solace and Kyuss, respectively.
This album has much to offer the average grooverock fan due to excellent tunes and
good overall sound. Greenwood's principal positive quality is the way they blend
their influences together into a consistent album that doesn't sound fragmented. A
little bit more originality wouldn't harm them though. For now, we will speak of
them as a band with potential.
xander77
HAMMER COCKS -
"S/T"
[ CD -
Wolverine Records ]
Take one part PG-rated Mentors, one part Speeddealer and one part WWF wrestling and
you get the hyper, goofy, punky, rock juggernaut called the Hammer Cocks. These
Texans swagger with the attitude that made that state famous, and their motto seems
to be "drink, fight, fuck". Nothing groundbreaking here, but plenty of fun for a
fraternity full of speed-guzzling Motorhead fans. Take fast rock and roll with a
punk rock edge and southern flavor add a nice cd package that includes a Hammer Cocks
comic strip, and you have the successors to Nashville Pussy's throne. Except these
guys are more intense and funny than Nashville Pussy ever was.
drew
THE IMMORTAL LEE COUNTY KILLERS -
"THE ESSENTIAL FUCKED UP BLUES"
[ CD -
Estrus/Sweet Nothing ]
Named after Jerry Lee Lewis, the original killer, The Immortal Lee County
Killers are set to go to hell on judgement day. Both Chetley "Cheetah" Wise
(guitar, vocals, harp) and drummer Doug "The Boss" Sherrard wanna corrupt
their maker, and smack him in the face with some "essential fucked up
blues". The reunited duo mix early electrified Chicago blues (Muddy Waters),
Mississippi Delta blues (Son House), with modern "Fat-Possum" stuff like
R.L. Burnside and T. Model Ford with some odd parts of MC5 thrown in.
Their mean-ass sound is primitive and raw. The songs are desperate and
drenched in hard liquor. There's spitting, howling, shouting, swearing -- no
crap additives here. To put it plain and simple: it's the way blues is meant to be,
devoid of lame ass bullshit! Just two greasy, killer gearheads who return to
the stage after seven years of playing in bands such as Sphamm and The
Quadrajets.
walter
KHANATE -
"S/T"
[ CD - Southern Lord Recordings ]
This is the latest evil, depressing, sick and twisted doom from Steven O'Malley. You
may recognize the name from his past work with Burning Witch or sunn0))). He's teamed
up with James Plotkin (Old, Scorn, Blind Idiot God, Atomsmasher) and unleashed his
bleakest, darkest conjuration ever. This makes some tracks on Burning Witch's
"Towers" look like happy speedmetal in comparison.
Dark-evil-torture-cold-hatred joins forces with slow, slower, slowest doom and ambient drone to give you one bleak
and depressing feedback-filled nightmare. Play this one at your next party and hand
out razor blades as party favors! Or maybe not. Seriously, this is some dark and
disturbing shit. Not for the timid, weak or suicidal. Here is a fine example of the
lyrics that accompany this stuff: "please please no face/no breathe no breathe/please
don't breathe/no joy/ no joy/no joy/please eat that smile right off a face". Yikes.
drew
THE MAGGOTS -
"THIS CONDITION IS INCURABLE"
[ CD - Bad Afro Records ]
Here's another delivery of high-explosive garage punk by The Maggots out of
Stockholm, Sweden. "This Condition Is Incurable" is the acclaimed follow up
to their fuzzed out debut "Get Hooked", which was released on Low Impact
Records early this year. The Maggots combine 60's freak beat with snotty
punk leanings and pop hooks to create a primitive street-sound full of
attitude and love for all things important in rock 'n roll history; cheap
sunglasses, leather jackets, babes, beer and hot wheels! The CD version of
"This Condition Is Incurable" has three bonus cuts taken from the
"Gonna Make You Pay 7" on Bad Afro Records.
walter
MANNHAI -
"THE SONS OF YESTERDAY'S BLACK GROUSE"
[ CD - Spinefarm Records ]
Fans of Xysma rejoice! Ultra-distinctive singer Joanitor Muurinen is back with a
super heavy riff rock ensemble called Mannhai. These Finn's know how to pummel with
catchy hooks, but they also know how to mix things up to keep an album interesting.
They aren't experimental or particularly unusual, they simply excel at constructing
memorable riffs and varying their speed and volume enough to remain interesting from
start to finish. The overriding experience is crushing rock riffology, but it's not a
one course meal. "Only For The Sake Of Losing" drops down to a classic doom tempo
and features one of the lowest tuned, heaviest guitar sounds ever. "Cloudberry Jam"
provides a light psychedelic interlude, and "100,000 Years" has a bit of a southern
rock solo.
The meat and potatoes here are the heavy riff-driven songs though. From Entombed-like
sounds to desert rock, this is a ripping riff-o-rama. Joanitor was one of the unique
and great voices in rock in the 90's and it's a real treat to have him back, especially with an enormously talented band behind him again. This is one of
the top riff/stoner rock records of the year.
drew
MARSHAN -
"KINGS THURSDAY ON THE FRIDAY STREET"
[ CD - Casket Music ]
Scottish stoners Marshan have a pleasant Acrimony-like vibe on their 6-song
EP's opener, "Purple Demon Blues". Happy stonerrock is definitely a good
thing. More joy comes in the form of track two -- a hoarse vocal line stands
next to a high pitched melodic line to give "Mutton Chop Hop" a unique
signature. "Deep & Meaningless" is a hilarious title since it refers to a
Grateful Deadish (with distorted guitar) instrumental number.
The production by Dave Chang does a great job of keeping the space and lightness in the
music rather than overburdening it with generic stonerrock uber-low-end. In
fact, the whole of this disc is rife with the atmosphere of a sunny day out
with your best mates, just having a great old time. Surely the perfect
antidote to a dreary Scottish winter.
drew
THE MEDEA CONNECTION -
"THE BELL RINGER"
[ CD -
Curve of the Earth Records ]
Chugga chugga chugga. Wo-ohh-ohh-ahh. Chugga chugga chugga. Wo-ohh-ohh-ahh. They're
metal. They're doom. They're goth. They're all over the place. Who's in charge here?
It's not that this is bad. Well, most of it isn't. There is one very long, boring
instrumental near the end that made me turn the disc off every time, but there is
also some quality metal chug-chugging and some catchy punk whoa-oh-ing too.
The real issue I have is with the lack of cohesiveness to the disc. It sounds like a
compilation. I'm all for diversity and variety, believe me, but I like records that
are diverse and still flow together. This sounds like three separate bands with the
same singer. Still, there are some pretty great metal moments here...
drew
MIRSIE -
"ALIENS IN A BRA"
[ CD - Freakshow Records: smord@tiscalinet.it ]
Italy's Mirsie are a hyper-fucked-up-rockin'-blues band, combining a savage
Stooges-attitude with the twisted sounds of the Chrome Cranks. "Aliens In A
Bra" is blend of all things raw and primitive in rock on roll; rage, sleaze,
passion, energy, garage guitars and batcave beats. This debut has got it
all, and jumpstarted Mirsie to the top of the Italian rock-scene while
pushing dope to the incurable rock addicts. Expect no lasting rush though,
vintage Hellacopters, The Hydromatics or Gluecifer offer a better fix.
"Aliens in A Bra" is still worth a spin even if it won't replace those
classics in your collection.
walter
MISSISSIPPI SLUDGE -
"BISCUITS & SLAVERY"
[ CD -
Record Heaven Music ]
On "Biscuits & Slavery", California sludge rockers Mississippi Sludge attempt
to go for one thing only; THE GROOVE! This inspiration has been followed by
a wide variety of bands in the genres of 80's hardrock and the by now
predictable stonerrock. Both of which Mississippi Sludge draw on to augment
their sludging. Vocalist Adam Elliot sounds like David Lee Roth (Van
Halen-era)on the album opener. Then there are the less loud moments where
the heavy backbeat makes room for a nicer and more gentle rhythm that draws
comparisons with the Black Crowes or Norwegian band We. I must say the
high level of bands like that is not ever reached, though.
"Biscuits & Slavery" is a nicely recorded document of groove, but doesn't stand out
in its mix of hardrock, slide guitars and 80's hardrock vocals. There just
doesn't seem to be enough Mississippi Sludge on here to know what they add
in terms of originality. Too many influences, not enough inspiration. Good
songs are what make us all happy, but I don't hear many of them on this
record.
xander77
THE MONSTROUS BLUES -
"HIGH OCTANE"
[ CD -
High Beam Records ]
Well, with a name like The Monstrous Blues, there's almost no need to tell you what
they sound like. Indeed, they play monstrously large blues-based hard rock, and they
do it well. Immediately impressive because of smooth, professional sound and
developed songwriting, TMB are a polished band. Their songs are characterized by
their complexity and dynamic variation. "Being King" is a fine example of this with
its spacy psych-pop build up giving way to a burly metal riff and resolving in a
catchy chorus. Add in a languid psychedelic interlude and a secondary chorus that
has a Nirvana feel to it, and you have one fine song.
TMB have a good vocalist in Paul Hausmeister, and these Aussies manage to be catchy
and poppy without being wimpy. The combination of pop and psych elements with
enormous riff rock is a welcome one, and the top-notch production brings everything
together in the best possible way. This was a big surprise, and I will eagerly await
the full length.
drew
MOXY - "V"
[ CD -
Record Heaven Music ]
In the mid 70's, Canada's Moxy released their self titled debut album, a
no-nonsense, heavy rock record with touches of Black Sabbath, Deep Purple
and Led Zeppelin in their sound. Successors like "Moxy "II" and "Ridin' High"
even became Canuck rock classics. Now, leap forward 20 years and Moxy got
the chance to carry on where they left off with "Ridin High", but unfortunately
"V" isn't as much of a powerhouse as the early albums were. It's just
average hard rock and the album recalls L.A.'s Sunset Strip during the 80's; not
particularly the best period to gaze back at. Certainly not when you have
such a rock 'n roll history under your belt. Don't spend the coin on "V",
track down the aforementioned classics instead, starting with Moxy "I".
walter
PETER PAN SPEEDROCK -
"PREMIUM QUALITY...SERVE LOUD!"
[ CD -
Suburban Records ]
Clad in torn jeans, tattooed sleeves, sunglasses and greasy hair, Peter Pan
Speedrock are out to settle the score with the likes of Motorhead, Nashville
Pussy and Zeke. Armed with the scorchin' "Premium Quality...Serve Loud!",
this Eindhoven Rockcity three-piece will soon join ranks with the
aformentioned godz of street-rawk 'n roll.
The band's fouth album, the successor to last years "Killermachine", is packed with thirteen raw,
in-your-face, hellraisin' tracks -- or high voltage speedrock 'n roll as these
adrenaline-soaked motherf*ckers like to call it themselves. "Premium
Quality...Serve Loud!" shows the band reaching new heights, and Peter Pan
Speedrock is set for some hot and steamy (xxx-induced) action down at a
sleazy strip joint; the mean spirit of (speed)rock!
walter
PILOTOS -
"S/T"
[ CD -
Self Released ]
Pilotos are a young Swedish riff-rock band. Their four song demo doesn't immediately
set the world on fire, but it does deliver some consistently driving heavy riff-rock
with a rather pleasing gruff-voiced vocalist who at time sounds like Lemmy.
Musically, their riff rock is downtuned heavy blues with occasional hints of 70's
boogie rock. The songs are decent, with some variations in volume and delivery, but
the tempos are all very similar mid to fast paced chuggers. There are definitely
elements that set Pilotos apart, most notably their affinity for boogie rock, but t
hese need to be really fleshed out and worked into the fabric of the songs to create
a more identifiable sound.
drew
PORN (THE MEN OF) -
"EXPIREMENTS IN FEEDBACK"
[ CD -
Small Stone Records ]
Without question one of the biggest surprises of the year. Porn (The Men of) have
created an ambitious CD that straddles the line between drone and heavy sludge/riff
rock. Listing the members' former bands gives an idea of their sound: Ritual Device,
Buzzov.en, Acid King, Swans and El Dopa.
Kicking things off is a marvelous cover of Pink Floyd's "One Of These Days". They
deliver the best hard rock Pink Floyd cover since the Melvins' "Interstellar Overdrive".
After that the album alternates between songs and feedback dronescapes. "Capp
Street" is an endearing sludge rock number about the infamous San Francisco street
where prostitutes sell their wares. "Feedback II" is the first of the drones, and is
just a quick (2 minute) sample of what's to come.
Then the first of THREE (!!!!) versions of Motorhead's "I'll Be Your Sister" appears, entitled the "Valium Mix".
Fans of Sons of Otis will love this one. Why did they do three versions? They felt
like it. Why did all three appear on record? They couldn't decide which one they
liked best. Why did they pick such a bizarre Motorhead song (and just what was Lemmy
thinking when he wrote those lyrics)? Who knows? Obviously, Porn are playing by
their own rules.
"Feedback IV" is next, a slowly building number that is almost recognizable as a
"song" but never quite breaks out into structure or melody. "Outta Site" cranks up
the tempo considerably to what sounds a bit like a sludge cover of a Gang Green song.
The second version of "I'll Be Your Sister" appears next and is very noisy and
spacey. And I mean spacey as in space-rock. Porn doing Motorhead doing Hawkwind?
Let's do that time warp again! "Feedback VII" is the most high pitched and
unsettling of these pieces and leads into the final version of "...Sister" called
the "Nod Mix". This version is the heaviest and straightest of the three and
features some of the most crushing slide guitar the I've heard.
Highly distorted vocals render it virtually unrecognizable, which after two
previous versions is a good thing.
The album closer, "Loop", is a 14 minute magnum opus (I say that with tongue firmly
in cheek) of repetitive feedback that is actually one 15 second piece of "music"
looped over and over and over... something like a locked groove on a record. You
are unlikely sit through it unless incapacitated by heavy drugs. Which, come to
think of it, might be the point of the whole record.
drew
ROADSAW -
"RAWK 'N ROLL"
[ CD -
Lunasoundrecordings ]
After I heard "Nationwide", I have to admit I was on the fence a bit about
this band. It's a good disc with some standout parts, but it's nothing that
blew my mind. That is, until I saw them live. In this setting the band
packed much more of a wallop, and yes, my mind was then blown. Well, let me
tell ya, "Rawk 'N Roll" captures this brick-heavy brand of self-proclaimed
'arena rock' with amazing accuracy. From the opening track "Right On
Through" to the closer "Hoof", this disc rips. The sound alone is enough to
make you wonder "Where the hell are these guys from?"
The sound is THICK. Not muddy, just plain THICK. And with this thick sound
Roadsaw churn out some of the heaviest, catchiest tunes I've heard in a long
time. It's not metal, it's not 'stonerrock'. It's straight up beer-fueled
rock mayhem. The best comparison that comes to mind is Deep Purple meets
Kiss meets Zeppelin. You want anthems? You'll find em here. Tracks like "Bad
Ass Rising", "Blackout Driver", and "Buried Alive", man, this is the kinda
shit that makes you play air guitar in the shower. Every single song has
great vocals, thundering bottom end and nice meaty hooks, making this a very
memorable record.
mike hubbard
ROLLER -
"IT HAS BEGUN"
[ CD -
Self Released ]
Here is another real pleasant surprise. This is the first demo from a Texas band
called Roller. Just last issue I mentioned that there weren't many stoner/riffrock
bands from Texas, which I found surprising. Then I got this disc. Go figure. Maybe
Texans are listening. Or maybe people actually read these reviews. Whatever... On
to the band.
Roller don't really fit into the standard stoner sound, though. They
bring a Detroit rock 'n roll sensibility and a heavy Hawkwind overdrive to a
fat riff-rock guitar sound that is a bit Fu Manchu. They do a really nice job of
staying original sounding (there is a definite Texas vibe here, including yee-haws
in "Defcon Five") and the disc stands up to repeated plays. There is certainly an
enormous amount of get up and go packed into these 8 songs, and the tight production
keep things jumping. Yee-Haw!! Here's Texas for ya!
drew
ROLLERCOASTER -
"HIGH SOCIETY"
[ CD -
Suiteside ]
Italy's Rollercoaster write high energy garage rock a la Thee Hypnotics.
Because of being influenced by the likes of MC5, The 13th Floor Elevators
and The Rolling Stones, it's hard to believe that "High Society" is a
contemporary album. From start to finish it's a throwback to the end of the
60's, and it seems that all these groovy-yet-primitive songs were written by
a psyched-out garage band from that era.
There's no peace, love and happiness on offer, as Rollercoaster's dark and hypnotic trip
is the soundtrack to the American nightmare; chaos and decline. Its psychedelic
coda is the invitation for a burning sex orgy, ignited by three fucked up
guys from Sardinia who spent their time doing dope and listening to the
amphetaminic sounds of the Velvet Underground and The Stooges as well. It's
a strange world!
walter
SAND -
"TRANSHUMAN ENTITY"
[ CD - Self Released: sand@stonerrock.net ]
This self released demo disc has a high level of professionalism and
quality. This is basically stoner/riff/space rock but with a bit of variety
thrown in. Sure, there are Kyuss-influenced guitar sounds and tunings, but
there is also a great didgeridoo intro, an acoustic track, an ambient
soundscape, and it all culminates in an epic (11:38 long) instrumental
odyssey called "...in orbit" that combines many of those aforementioned
elements as well as some catchy, headbanging riffs.
There is a general sci-fi theme to the songs on the cd, and the music is definitely
jammy and free-form enough to call this modern space rock, but it's more melody- and
riff-oriented that drony. A promising debut.
drew
THE SATELLITE CIRCLE -
"S/T"
[ CD -
Rage of Achilles ]
The Satellite Circle surprised me quiet a bit with their full length debut album.
Songs like "You Were Never The King" and "Slow Descent" show much potential and
are a hell of a trip to listen too. The latter one has a beautiful psychedelic bridge
that really captures your attention. Other songs on the album are equally convincing,
like the rapid "I Need To Keep This To Myself." In "Black Mountainside" this Swedish trio sounds like "Spine of
God"-era Monster Magnet. The album builds very well, and besides booming basstones, stomping drums and seventies oriented guitar riffs; a wild and
psychedelic variety of sounds and effects can be heard. Check it out! This
one is worth a good spin.
xander77
SCENE KILLER -
"S/T"
[ CD -
Meteorcity ]
Inspired by Man's Ruin's first batch of Desert Sessions, it took nearly
three years to finish "Scene Killer." This similar project was done by the
acclaimed Meteorcity label, and features some of the most talented musicians
of the the bludgeoning New Jersey riff rock scene. Members of Solace,
Solarized, Atomic Bitchwax, Core, Monster Magnet and others have been
collaborating to deliver some flowing, laid back, THC-induced jamming.
Produced by Solarized's James Hogan and mixed by Seattle-legend Jack Endino,
Scene Killer boasts acidic fuzz-wah guitars, brain spinning riffs and mellow
leads, leaving you numb and spent on numerous occasions. Standout tracks are
the heartfelt "Wasteland", based upon a bluesy riff by Jim LaPointe, and the
stoned-out jamming of "Midnight Snack." Then there's "Pit of The Soul", a
high octane rocker and both cosmic jams ("Aurora" and "Psychic Down") by the
sadly defunct Drag Pack.
Inevitably, as on any jam session, there are a bunch of album fillers too;
ill-fated tracks like "Buckshot" and "As You Look". Givin' the amout of
freestyle jams, "Scene Killer" would have been better off as a mini-album
or even two separate 10-inches. That would have packed more punch.
walter
SIANSPHERIC -
"THE SOUND OF THE COLOUR OF THE SUN"
[ CD -
Sonic Unyon ]
"The Sound of The Colour of The Sun", Sianspheric's fourth album, marks the
return of guitarist Paul Sinclair and a new bassist/guitarist/pianist,
Locksley Taylor. Influenced by the likes of My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive
and The Jesus and Mary Chain, these Canadian indie-darlings set out to fuse
swirling textures of wailing guitars with magical soundscapes drenched in
washes of feedback, noise and reverb.
Sianspheric's brand of shoegazing-pop creates a hazy state of mind and allows me to
roam and drift through the seasons; autumn nerver sounded so beautiful and comfortable. Fans of
the aformentioned bands (and those who love Bowery Electric, Spiritualized and Spaceman 3 too)
should definitly trip-out on "The Sound of The Colour of The Sun." Get set
for flashes of warm, mind-altering and kaleidoscopic rays of light.
walter
SOLARIZED - DRIVEN -
"DRIVEN"
[ CD -
Meteorcity ]
Spawned from the bludgeoning New Jersey riff-rock scene, Solarized' s "Driven" continues
pretty much from where "Neanderthal Speedway", their colossal debut, left off. While
the band uses a big dose of thick riffs and the obvious downtuned guitars as a touchstone,
they add to it a whiskey-influenced, screaming guitar sound along with the flowing
pace of "Wiseblood"- era Corrosion of Conformity.
The energetic songs of "Driven" also remind me of Mountain and The Stooges in terms
of their high octane throttlerock. The band also gets off on heavy-hoofed gallops, mean-ass
grooves, a fucked up' southern twist and some lethal action down at the drag strip.To sum
it all up: Solarized have some good drinkin' and snortin' on offer, and the
urge to challenge the blue meanies.
walter
SONS OF OTIS -
"SONGS FOR WORSHIP"
[ CD -
The Music Cartel ]
"Songs For Worship" is the third full-length release from the Sons of
Otis and on a new label after parting company with Man's Ruin. Hopefully
The Music Cartel will do the appropriate work to get this awesome band more
in the forefront of things (not to mention get them to play Glasgow!).
The album is typical Otis territory. Slow, thick-toned riffs
ooze like primordial soup out of your speakers with echoing, delayed
vocals swirling in and around the fringes of the sound.
The style of the record tends towards the droning riffs of "Spacejumbofudge"
as opposed to the more upbeat, blues jam feel of "Templeball". Only on
"Cold City Blues", perhaps the highpoint of the album, is there any real
cutting loose with fantastic blues licks highlighting the heaviness of
the basic riff. Additionally, the slightly faster "Losin' It" (with fucked
up timing on the intro riff) rocks hard.
This album has divided me somewhat. I've been listening to it pretty much
solidly for a week now, but I feel there's something missing from the
equation. The lack of the lazy blues jams from "Templeball" on tracks
like "Windows Jam" and "Diesel", in my opinion, weakens the heady brew
that Otis concoct. It also sounds perhaps a bit over-rehearsed and just
misses having the effortless groove that "Templeball" reeked of.
That said, this reviewer still recommends the album highly as a slice of
how drone/blues should be done.
alligator descartes
TRUTH AND JANEY -
"NO REST FOR THE WICKED"
[ CD -
Monster Records ]
Here we are in 2001 and it's still possible to unearth gems from the 1970's. Amazing
isn't it? Truth and Janey is an Iowa hard rock trio that was led by guitarist/vocalist
Billy Lee Janey (who still releases solo material to this day). Monster Records have
re-released the obscure classic "No Rest For The Wicked" with four bonus tracks
(mostly B-sides from singles).
The album was first released in 1976 and is a truly phenomenal record. It's not good
simply because it's a cool rediscovery, this album kicks all kinds of ass no matter
what the measuring stick. Truth and Janey play a style of hard rock that combines
elements of Jeff Beck's guitar playing (Janey's guitar hero), the Allman Brothers
southern groove, T2's epic fantasy prog/hard rock sound and a dose of down home
boogie rock. Standout tracks are the 9 minute long "Remember" which combines equal
parts progrock with a heavier version of Cream, "Down The Road I Go" with it's
memorable chorus, and "No Rest For The Wicked" an out there psych/prog/hard rock
tune.
The vocals on the whole record are really good by both Janey and Bassist
Steven Bock. There really aren't any week spots at all except for the bonus tracks
which are nowhere near the caliber of the album songs. Be sure and check out the
Monster Records web site because they have re-released a number of obscure but
awesome hard rock and metal bands including Winterhawk, JPT Scare Band, Sorcery and
Manilla Road. This is an essential, must-get release for fans of 1970's hard rock.
drew
THULSA DOOM -
"THE SEATS ARE SOFT BUT THE HELMET IS WAY TOO TIGHT"
[ CD -
This Dark Reign Recordings ]
This Norwegian band is an absolute marvel. As you can guess from their album
title, they have a pretty good sense of humor. Combine that with
off-the-wall song writing sensibilities and excellent riff writing,
interesting musical elements, great singing, strong lyrical content and you
have a band poised to really blaze a new trail. The only downfall is that
though they are poised to, they never quite break off into new territory.
Instead they do a great job reworking some familiar influences.
CD opener "Centerfold Blues" starts the record off on a pinnacle that it
never quite eclipses. This song has great acid harmonica playing and super
heavy riffing, and vocalist Papa Doom (more chuckles) just lays down raw
testimony in his most engaging Phil Lynott-influenced way. A great song,
maybe a classic. -drew
"Ambulance Ride" is another highlight track spending some
five minutes building up from a mellow brooding space/blues to a roaring
crescendo and then back down to feature some far out guitar soloing that
sounds like a shortwave radio tuning in. This features my favorite lyrics of
the album, "So I raise my head in the appropriate way/As I sing
along.../Fuck you frailty/Fuck you consequence/Fuck you, Fuck you silence".
"Sins of the Next Man" is a straight ahead barrelhouse ripper complete with...
cowbell! Also has the great line, "Satan wants me/Cause I'm beautiful".
"Birthday Pony" is another of the fine tracks but also points out the
shortcoming of this record. The guitar is startlingly reminiscent of Josh
Homme in both tone and style and while the voice is completely different
sounding than John Garcia, the vocal delivery is not. There are many of
these "desert deja vu" moments sprinkled throughout the record and only they
keep this from receiving my highest recommendation.
drew
VIAJE A 800 -
"DIABLO ROTO DE..."
[ CD -
Custom Heavy Records/Alone Records ]
The second release from the fledgling Custom Heavy/Alone label (see Fooz review
earlier) is another Spanish band called Viaje A 800. Despite having incredibly bad
cover art, this is an incredibly good record that nearly made the Roadburn Picks.
Viaje A 800 tread near that dangerously over visited territory called "desert rock"
but do it very very well. It might scare you to say that they sound very similar to
Natas (who sound very similar to Kyuss), but like Natas, they do what they do so well
that it's ok.
Actually Viaje A 800 are a bit like a cross between Kyuss and the slow blues of Sons
of Otis in terms of their songwriting. They have much more feel and musical sense
than Sons of Otis, which makes a track like the ultra-slow and slow-building album
opener "Roto Blues" fucking awesome. By the time the tension is released more than
seven minutes into the song, you are in aural bliss. Uptempo numbers like "Cardio
Limite" and "Higomon 2 A" really sound like Josh Homme playing guitar which is
unsettling and somewhat unnecessary. The majority of the album showcases Viaje's
ability to milk a groove and use dynamics and space to create unique and satisfying
heavy riff rock.
drew
ZEN GUERRILLA -
"SHADOWS ON THE SUN"
[ CD -
Sub Pop ]
Vintage Zen Guerrilla sounds like Little Richard on speed mixed with the Stooges. Live, they are
unquestionably one of the best rock bands ever. Combining frenetic, unbelievable
energy with razor sharp chops and totally professional delivery has elevated ZG to
the top of the heap. Their records have been a different story though. They have
consistently failed to capture the intense exhilaration of the live band and also
failed to provide enough diversity to make good albums. "Shadows on the Sun" doesn't
quite fix these ills, but this Jack Endino produced record is the closest ZG have
come yet.
The uptempo songs still fall short of the live energy, but the diversity is good and
there are a few really good songs here. "Where's My Halo", "Staring Into Midnite" and "Captain
Infinity" have a great catchy hooks and choruses, "Shadows" has a nice country rock
flavor and "Smoke Rings" is an intense driving blues workout. On the downside, "Subway Transmission"
is an unnecessary expiremental track and "Evening Sun" is a fairly shameless rip off
of the riff to "Gloria" and comes off as bad pop. On the whole, ZG's best record, but
still not up to the level of their utterly essential live show.
drew
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