THIS IS... THE BEGINNING - S/T
Molten Records
KINGS OF FROG ISLAND - S/T
Elektrohasch Records
Josiah's Mat Bethancourt looks far beyond riffrock fare.
Both "This Is... The Beginning" and "Kings of Frog Island" are bands with Josiah's Mat Bethancourt at
the helm. "This Is..." is Mat's band prior to Josiah, and it has nothing in common with the
heavy 70's. Instead, "This is..." harkens back to the late 60's, and can be likened to the
Grateful Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service and the hard rock-tinged sounds of
early Led Zeppelin.
"This Is" sports a similar, loose, jamming vibe as the aforementioned greats. This album isn't
just a tribute, it's more a celebration of a bygone era where marathon jams
were the best way to communicate with the hallucinogen-indulging crowds. Although the S/T debut is
far from original, "This Is....The Beginning" knows the art of exchanging good vibes through
lengthy guitar leads and fluid playing. I'm loving it, you dig!
The Kings of Frog Island are also a very different beast than standard Josiah fare, it's more of a garage
rock outfit, fusing hypnotic narco-grooves [think early Monster Magnet] with quirky songwriting
sensibilities [think Queens of the Stone Age]. The band has some different moods going on, very heavy
and psychedelic for most part, but quiet and laid back in places too.
It seems that The Kings of Frog Island offer the soundtrack to a classic biker movie; mammoth riffs
evoke a wild ride through the badlands, while the fragile parts are the embodiment of some
sweet lovemaking down at the wild angels' pad. The Kings of Frog Island's S/T debut will leave you
craving to be in the leading role of such a cult movie. Dig it, too!
walter
Mat Bethancourt speaks to Roadburn:
Both This Is... the Beginning & The Kings
of Frog Island are like a celebration of the late 60's -the embodiment of martathon jams [This is...]and
heavy, psychedelic narco-grooves [ The Kings...]. Are you born to late?
"Ha ha! Yeh, 20 years too late! People tell me I would have been in one of the great groups if I
was born earlier but i'm not so sure. I reckon I would have only managed roadie for the Edgar
Broughton Band and been very happy."
Any plans to to take either
The Kings of Frog Island or The Beginning on the road?
"No! Maybe a few festivals next year if we are asked but no plans to tour. Josiah is my live baby."
What's up with Josiah?
"Josiah will hit the road for a long tour around Europe this September and October and then we plan to
record the third album for release next year. We already have around 5 new tracks
written and will give people a chance to check them out live this September."
TRUCKFIGHTERS - "GRAVITY X"
Fuzzorama Records
Delirious riifrock from Sweden.
Wallowing gleefully amongst the quilt-like density of a well-honed Kyuss riff can be a salutary joy unto
itself, and these Swedish riff-rock vikings invoke the broadest, super-fuzziest, hemp-sticky guitar ooze
outside of fellow Kyuss acolytes, Mammoth Volume, Lowrider and the resplendent Dozer...
Let's not mince words here; Truckfighters, "Gravity X" is an unrepentant, deliriously riffy, H-bomb loud, desert
rock album, and it sits squarely between the hypnotic and opiated bombastic riff poetry
of Kyuss's Sky Valley and the maddeningly compulsive groove rock of the first Q.O.T.S.A album.
Truckfighters are a truly wondrous entity, a living breathing microcosm of all that was so majestic
and exciting about the early monolithic rumblings of stoner rock, and the retrograde heaviness of the still
mourned Mans' Ruin label -where pot-eyed musicians with lank, unkempt hair sloshing around the
waistbands of their frayed loons were courted like prize stallions and for a few glorious ye ars the
zealous worship of planetoid heavy, iommi guitars made fat bottomed rock utterly addictive again.
Admittedly it's 2005 and if that wasn't depressing enough, the ghost of Nu-metal stubbornly
refuses to dissolve and this current glut of one-dimensional MC5 wannabe's bore with their incessant, turgid
Detroit posturing, and the interminable metal core scene is hell bent on making a mockery of
what was once so fabulous about Thrash Metal. So amongst these moribund times, it's even more pertinent to
cherish a band like Truckfighters, who are so unpretentious, wilfully anachronistic and downright fun to
listen to.
I genuinely had high hopes for "Gravity X" as like many other slavering riff junkies I was blown away when I
first heard Truckfighters' fuzz rock magnum opus, "Desert Cruiser." It single handedly raised the
much maligned genre of stoner / riff Rock to hitherto unprecedented heights, which I admit sounds
a tad hyperbolic, but even the mighty Dozer have as yet been unable to match the peerless
thunder grooves of prime Kyuss.
Truckfighters are the clear masters of this marginal idiom, where low-slung, behemoth guitars, discharge the
kind of deep-grooved fuzz rock penetration that makes light work of your skull plate and lodges feverishly
hirsute power-chords deep into your frontal lobes. Causing ecstatic dancing, crazed, Pavlovian strumming of
imaginary Les Pauls, and the kind of flamboyant air drumming that, if spotted indulging in might, well result
in an extended stay in a heavily guarded mental health facility...
Whereas many bands gradually lose momentum after their best opening salvo, Truckfighters grab you
forcefully by the beard and the coiled, pendulous rock burn of "Gargarismo" will get you into a
florid bong-rock stance before you can say Spine of God.
The burly yet honeyed guitar stylings of Josh Homme are to be found in abundance
here from the bass-centric, staccato riff on "Freewheelin" to the monstrous, doomy drone
midway through "Momentum", but these are mere tips of the trucker hat to the formidable talents
of J. Homme, since the heavy-load guitar triptych of Dango [guitar], Ozo [bass], Fredo [guitar] generate a
unctuous tsunami of surround-sound guitar fuzz that is unquestionably their own...
And with the rabidly funky, gunt riffage of 'Freewheelin' they actually manage to best their mentor
as the mountainous guitar topography on this song is so damnably bouncy, fruggable, boogie-some and
bloody genius that it manages to tower over anything Q.O.T.S.A have served up since the halcyon days
of their sublime S/T. Yes, this weighty track has a delightful riff breakdown, manifesting itself as an
auditory orgasm, as Dango, Ozo, Fredo lock down a bloated groove that's so addictive it might not
actually be legal for younger viewers.
At differing earth quaking junctures of "Gravity X", the extraordinary bass levels are tantamount
to speaker genocide as these Swedish Fu-freaks inculcate the kind of be-devilled guitar / bass fuzz overdrive
that could unnerve the mightiest of sub-woofers. And on a personal level I couldn't play this album any
louder than 3 as my speakers shat themselves, and the ensuing sonic holocaust may well have killed my
flatmate outright.
The odds of listening to the tracks "Desert Cruiser" "Momentum" "Freewheelin", "A Zapruder" in a stationary
position is as unlikely as refusing a freebie on Rose McGowan's, corpulent, chalk-white tits,
ergo... It's a veritable stoner boner...!
A covert governmental organisation could cannily subvert this riff grenade into a deadly
musical neurotoxin as resistance is useless, and you will be beguiled for the 62 minute
duration of "Gravity X", pinned helplessly to the wall by Truckfighter's bowdlerising, super-engorged
fuzz tone.
But unlike many other riff rock bands with similarly beardist tendencies, Truckfighters have a refined
sense of melody and groove so all the bombast is neatly tailored into a bell-bottomed shimmy that is both
profoundly addictive and gloriously uplifting.
Production on "Gravity X" is superlative and conjures up a dense, heady, THC-fuelled thunder cloud
of earth shifting, heavy grooves guaranteed to instill deep feelings of riff rock euphoria in one
and all.
Fave tracks: the aforementioned 'Desert Cruiser', 'Momentum', "Freewheelin' and 'A Zapruder' [and the demonic
wah-wah fuzz on 'Manhattan project' is total fucking class!]
For fans of: KYUSS, Brant Bjork, Q.O.T.A, Lowrider, Dozer, Mammoth Volume.
STANCE FACTOR: MAXIMUM V12 DESERT CRUISER STANCE.
jason
TONER LOW - "S/T"
Roadkill Records
Dutch dirge-doomsters scintilate on acclaimed debut full-length.
Toner Low's S/T debut album comes as a surprise. While the band's first outings were below par, this
album conjures up the best of Sleep, Acid King & High on Fire but without sounding
like a copycat band. Rather than recognizable plagiarized riffs, it's Toner Low's vibe
that resemble the aforementioned bands. Their S/T album is a 46 minute
slowride chock full of gargantuan, repetitive riffs, low frequencies, minimal soundscapes, weird
sound effects and distorted vocals, taking the listener on a fucked up, psychedelic journey
to the center of the mind. What a headtrip it is!
walter
WALL OF SLEEP - "SUN FACED APOSTLES"
PsycheDOOMelic
Work well done by Hungarian doomsters who got
a little help from the Scott 'Wino' Weinrich.
This second outing from these languorous Hungarian doom acolytes proves to be a most respectable
follow up to their thunderous and magnificently titled "Slow But Not Dead" debut. For those metal
heads unfamiliar with Wall of Sleep's oeuvre should note that they succeed at generating
an addictive, melodic doom groove that is all parts heavy with a righteous and healthy nod to
the stately and highly influential The Obsessed -as these are big boots to fill, they do so
with the assistance of none other than the venerable Wino himself who lends his inimitable g-tar eloquence to the
track 'From The Bottom of These Days.'
The album opener, 'On pain of Birth' is doom metal genius, and this gutsy track is
propelled by a divinely infectious riff courtesy of talented riff-meister, Sandor Fuleki. This
really is some sublime g-tar wrangling, and even those with scant interest in monolithic guitars
will find themselves storm raiding around the room as if under siege by a clan murderous Visigoths...
While a little momentum is lost by the titular track, the remainder of the album distils some
dextrous, thunder-grooves. And it is clear from the high standard of musicianship on display here
that in the interim betwixt their debut and "Sun Faced Apostles’ they have improved upon and
consolidated their sound to great effect, and that is to play a high quality, if a trifle
derivative brand of blindingly groovy, melodic doom.
My personal faves are the riff-centric 'On Pain of Birth', 'The River' and 'From The Bottom of These Days' [where
Scott Weinrich lends his considerable talents]. Expert production from the ever reliable
Bruce Falkinburg.
For fans of: The Obsessed, Las Cruces, Spirit Caravan, Place of Skulls etc.
jason
WALLRUS - "THE WIND BLOWS WITCHES FROM THE SKY"
Freebird Records
Re-issue of the band's striking debut album.
Holland's Wallrus are often lumped into the stonerrock scene, but the band's more of a nitty-gritty
bluesrock beast. I mean, really, how can you go wrong with fat blues riffs, luscious bass, and
harmonica's? Is there a chance to fuck up coupling Led Zeppelin and Free with early Queen? Not in my book.
"The Wind Blows Witches From The Sky" has a very strong appeal; the addictive melodies and stomping riffs
mesh effortlessly together and the performance is strong. It's actually nice to hear
a band that can be confident in themselves without sounding affected, and this album will directly
strike the nervous system -causing total loss of control of motor skills.
In fact, you will air guitar; you will bang your head; you will pound your foot trough the floor; you
will be moved. Thumbs up!
dr jones
WITCHCRAFT - "FIREWOOD"
Rise Above Records
Another winner from Sweden's almost legendary doomsters.
Witchcraft latest album, "Firewood", pretty much continues where the band's "S/T" debut left
off. However, while still sounding like a long lost 70's gem, the album is less
dark than it's much acclaimed predecessor; the overall feel is brighter, and even the
fan-boy Pentagram shadings are less apparent -the album doesn't lumber off into the
medieval woods of doom by the spectre of Bobby Liebling alone. Hence, Witchcraft a.d. 2005 has far
more in common with the dark folk of Pentangle and hemprockers Wishbone Ash and Jethro Tull than either
Black Sabbath or vintage Pentagram.
Is this album any better than the "S/T" though? Depends on your taste, to a certain extent. "Firewood"
encapsulates the entire heavy 70's ranging from bellbottom jeans to obscure cult rock, but I
wonder if it will be hailled as an instant underground classic? The album just isn't
overwhelming as the band's striking debut which hit the doom-scene real
hard, leaving doom fanatics gasping for air in a way not seen since the release of
Electric Wizard's "Come My Fanatics."
On the other hand, the songwriting is more mature, the overall sound less obscure
and more natural, and "Firewood" has a prevailing sense of melancholy which sets
the band apart from its peers so it becomes apparent that we have a winner here!
walter
WORLD BELOW - "MAELSTROM"
PsycheDOOMelic
Another winner from Sweden's almost legendary doomsters.
"Maelstrom" is the second platter from little known melodic Swedish doom outfit, World Below. While
their striking debut, "Sacrifices To The Moon" was a electrifying slab of Candlemassoid doom, "Maelstrom" has
equally strong ties to all things Lief Edling, as this grooved-out doom album sounds akin to
the resplendent Krux, which is in no small part due to the tasteful use of spacey keyboards -which in lesser hands
can sound trite, but World Below have a knack for marrying subtle harmonies and bowel churning heaviness with
great aplomb.
This really is a gem, as it is clear from the dare I say it progressive elements on display
here, that World Below are a very considered coven of doom lords. There is a richness and
musical diversity within these mulchy grooves which adds a delightful freshness to what can on
occasion be a decidedly stoic genre.
This is one of those genuinely remarkable albums that due to the multi faceted approach
actually makes for a more enlightened listening experience on each successive visit, as
any shaved ape can de-tune, grunt and effect heavy, it takes musical smarts and great
passion in order to create such luminously heavy sounds though.
The only flaw to this album is that I wish I'd heard it sooner, since Jonas Kjellgren & Per Nilsson [the latter
also handles the wonderfully elegiac keyboards] make for a protean g-tar tag team whose fluid, dextrous
solos add a colourful flourish to the pile-driving heaviness, which churns at the core of this
majestic doom album. At times they even veer into vintage Metallica territory with flamboyant
arpeggios and muscular, blunt-nosed riffage.
But without quality songs mere bombast becomes tiresome and fortunately you will find
some remarkably robust song writing on "Maelstrom" as both the catchy, uber-unctuous riff
and lyrics to 'Behind The Door' have yet to leave my metal-clogged brain, BLOODY DOOM PERFECTION!
Vocalist, Mikael Danielsson like Yob's Mike Schmidt & Opeth's M Akerfeldt has a malleable
enough larynx to lend much gravitas to both his emotive croons and DM howls.
"Maelstrom" is a classic melodic doom album which I can't recommend enough, do your ears a solid pleasure
and check these righteous brothers out.
For fans of Solitude Aeturnus, Krux, Candlemass.
jason
YAWNING MAN - "ROCK FORMATIONS" / "POTHEAD"
Alone Records
The long-awaited return of these seminal desert rock legends.
Spain's Alone Records is releasing brand new material by seminal desertrock legends Yawning Man. YM are
[and were] a proto-supergroup made up of Alfredo Hernandez [drums], Gary Arce [guitar] & Mario Lalli [bass].
Both releases, a full length called "Rock Formations" and a 4 track EP named "Pothead"
[with Billy Cordel of Unida-fame on bass] are rather spectacular efforts.
Led by the off-kilter guitar leads of Gary Arce, Yawning Man captures the essence of a desolate wasteland, and
cover much more ground than the stoner rock tag, which is so lazily applied to them.
The band's freeform freak-outs are a distinctive mixture of folk, surf and desert rock, underpinned
by Hernandez' latin beats and building on quiet ambient sections or loud, powerful, syncopated
loops. Yawning Man doesn't pay attention to traditional song structure or length of the
songs and sometimes the weirder the guitar parts, the better the song.
walter
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