Posts Tagged ‘album of the day’

Album of the day: Gunslingers – Manifesto Zero

Posted on Saturday, March 13th, 2010

Gunslingers - Manifesto Zero

Praise for Gunslingers’ Manifesto Zero from San Francisco’s Aquarius Records: Now this is what we’re talkin’ about. The return of France’s Gunslingers, not too long after their amazing No More Invention album and the cd release of frontman Gregory Raimo’s equally awesome solo endeavor as GR & Full-Blown Expansion.

How does one go about describing a band like this? If you had to simplify things, you might call them a psychedelic punk band with krauty inclinations. It is also interesting to note that the rhythm section is comprised of dudes from black metal behemoths Diamatregon and weirdo occultic post rockers Aluk Todolo, not that this sounds anything like either. Gunslingers possess plenty of what we all know and love – crazy psych-surf riffing, a frantic rhythm section that manages to be both tight and sort of drunk sounding, and GR’s unhinged vocals, which we accurately described as a cross between Johnny Rotten and Mark E. Smith, or better yet, the Trashmen’s singer on the infamous “Surfing Bird”.
But the truth is, Gunslingers don’t fit so easily into any categories. They are a crazy sounding bunch, capable of whipping up songs that are frenzied and totally demented, but also catchy and fun. And unlike many bands attempting this type of thing, Gunslingers avoid falling into the “retro” category, sounding, if anything, more like the true extension of the wild sounds of the late ’60s  /early ’70s. So if this band HAD existed 40 years ago, you wouldn’t be too surprised, but Gunslingers sound so self-aware that they seem to exist out of time, a quality we always appreciate.

The band kicks in right away with “The Spectre’s Sinister Commandment,” a firebreathing number that lurches forward menacingly with awesome sounding bass, melodic riffing, and some ride heavy drumming as GR’s crazed vocals will make you wonder what the hell is going on in France these days. Without really letting up, Gunslingers go right into their strange world once again with “Coupe-George”, a dense hurricane of fucked up biker psych mayhem heavy on the treble.
“Stub Of Fortune” is another monster with super distorted guitars that seem to recall SST’s glory days, all twisted, atonal, and jagged but strangely melodic at the same time. The album ends on a sort of upbeat note with the winding riffage of “Condor’s Radiant Spawn”, with the drums providing a super tight bounce that will make you feel like your heart will explode at any second. In a good way, of course.

Manifesto Zero is another highly welcome entry from a band we simply can’t get enough of, which is why some of us will be heading down to the Hemlock tonight to check this shit out in the flesh if we can get done with the list in time!

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Album of the day: Las Cruces – Dusk

Posted on Friday, March 12th, 2010

Lovingly pinched from The Obelisk: As the follow-up to 1998’s Ringmaster, Dusk (Brainticket / Metal Rising), the 2009 offering from San Antonio, Texas, doom bashers Las Cruces, is something of a surprise. Mostly because, since the band more or less called it quits after self-releasing the The Lowest End EP ...read more

Album of the day: While Heaven Wept – Vast Oceans Lachrymose

Posted on Thursday, March 11th, 2010

Lovingly pinched from Hellride Music: Since the early 90s, Virginia doom collective While Heaven Wept have resided in the shadows; a criminally underrated unit which has consistently released quality, emotional doom of the highest order. Whether it be 1998’s Sorrow of the Angels or 2003’s masterful Of Empires Forlorn, the ...read more

Album of the day: Grand Funk – Live Album

Posted on Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

Lovingly pinched from The Ripple Effect: “Here’s the group you’ve been waiting to see, GRAND FUNK RAILROAD!” And with those words my life was never the same. It wasn’t until about 10 or 12 years ago that someone hipped me to the fact that there was a lot more to ...read more

Album of the day: Lair of the Minotaur – Evil Power

Posted on Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

Lovingly pinched from The Obelisk: My chief issue with destructive Chicago outfit Lair of the Minotaur has always been memorability. For each of their three albums prior to the latest, Evil Power (their first on self-release label The Grind-House Records), I’ve been psyched to get the disc, put it on, ...read more

Album of the day: Black Boned Angel – The Witch Must Be Killed (vinyl)

Posted on Monday, March 8th, 2010

Praise for Black Boned Angel’s The Witch Must Be Killed from San Francisco’s Aquarius Records: Latest slab of sprawling outsider minimal ambient sludge doom drone from this (now) duo, fronted by none other than Campbell Kneale, he of Birchville Cat Motel and Our Love Will Destroy The World, but as ...read more

Album of the day: Hard Stuff – Bulletproof

Posted on Sunday, March 7th, 2010

Lovingly pinched from The Ripple Effect: The first half of the 1970’s is a bottomless pit of kick ass hard rock. Every month or so someone will turn me on to some band I’ve never heard of and it’s always from before 1975. Not too long ago Racer wrote up ...read more

Album of the day: Saint Vitus – Die Healing (vinyl reissue)

Posted on Saturday, March 6th, 2010

Praise for Saint Vitus‘ Die Healing from San Francisco’s Aquarius Records:  Doom. Vinyl. Die Healing. Need we go on?? Doom metal fans, probably all you need to know is that this album by LA godfathers of doom Saint Vitus, never before on vinyl, and long out of print on cd, ...read more

Album of the day: Alcest – Écailles de Lune

Posted on Friday, March 5th, 2010

Lovingly pinched from Blistering.com: High on the “most anticipated” list for this scribe and several others who were awestruck by the majesty that was 2007’s Souvenirs d’un Autre Monde, Alcest’s newest Écailles de Lune arrives with a newfound set of expectations, ones that just weren’t there last time around. Following ...read more

Album of the day: Dwarr – Animals

Posted on Thursday, March 4th, 2010

Praise for Dwarr’s Animals from San Francisco’s Aquarius Records: Eccentric outsider doom metal from the ’80s, from waaaaaay down underground. Now hold up, if the words “doom” or “metal” make you think, not for me, think again (maybe). This isn’t like any metal you’ve ever heard, really. More like spaced ...read more

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