And for those who haven’t heard Place of Skulls since then, or for those who perhaps are stuck on 2003’s epic With Vision — on which Griffin united with Scott “Wino” Weinrich (The Obsessed, Saint Vitus, etc.) to release one of the finest traditional doom albums of its decade – you should know a lot has changed. Of course, Griffin is still a master riffer. He has been since the days of Death Row, but sound-wise, Place of Skulls is a much different band than they were nine, seven or even four years ago.

In 2010, their sound is still rooted in doom, but as the lead songwriter, Griffin doesn’t shy away from balladry either. The third track on As a Dog Returns, ‘Though He Slay Me’, is essentially a power ballad about Jesus, and the follow-up, the ‘Planet Caravan’-esque ‘Psalm’, isn’t far off that either, at least for the first two and a half minutes. It shouldn’t be much of a surprise that after a career touching five decades (Death Row formed in 1979) Griffin’s songwriting should have matured, but the doom on As a Dog Returns isn’t miserable, isn’t downtrodden. It seems to rise up to its challenges. It has hope.

Continue reading:  The Obelisk » Blog Archive » Place of Skulls Return to a Peaceful Place.
(Special thanks to JJ Koczan for the very kind permission)

In addition, the inside booklet includes actual X-rays and MRIs from various injuries sustained by all four Earthride members over the years. Something Wicked is available via the band’s own Earth Brain Records.

“Something Wicked is definitely an Earthride album; all the elements are there. You’ve got the Clutch inspired waves of orange amplified riffage, the deep, grooving counterpoints of the rhythm section, and of course Sherman’s over-the-top vocal deliveries, which mix equal parts Lee Dorrian and Lemmy. And naturally, it’s heavy as fuck.” — Stonerrock.com

Already home to Gojira and most likely the year’s best blackened feelings metal album (Alcest’s Écailles de Lune) on top of all the other really incredible bands I’ve mentioned previously from the last few years, you have to go and pull some bullshit like producing sludgy doom-obsessed outre-metallers Eibon, trouncing us once again in a department we had once so excelled in. We’re in the middle of the longest economic downturn since the Great Depression and everyone hates everyone here; the least you can do is let us still have our awesome shoegazing sludgy doom bands. But based on the ridiculous excellence of Eibon’s debut full length, Entering Darkness, it’s apparent that you guys are gonna be dicks about this, too.

On paper, Eibon are the exact kind of band we don’t need: familiar with doom and sludge metal, prone to decidedly non-metal tangents, big on long crescendos. But in execution… good God, is it phenomenal. Eibon get the heavy part down with aplomb; borrowing liberally from sludge, doom, and occasionally black metal (the glowering title track tips its hat to fellow countrymen Merrimack, in particular), the band don’t leave one wanting in terms of crushing riffs.

Continue reading: MetalSucks » Blog Archive » ENTERING DARKNESS: EIBON’S SLIDES FROM THEIR TRIP TO HELL.

Long seen as mostly barren wastes in the overall map of extreme music, both Portugal and Spain have been throwing up a hell of a scene in the past few years, especially when it comes to the whole doom, sludge or stoner stuff. Spain alone has given us Adrift, Moho, Orthodox, Viaje A 800, Monkeypriest or Aathma, to name but a few of the uglier ones, strictly musically speaking of course. Pick of the bunch so far, however, and ugliest by far too, are these strange named fellows.

Continue reading: JOSÉ’S BAND OF THE WEEK: LORDS OF BUKKAKE.

With tickets already being hoovered up by the Doom faithful, Metal Ireland took the time for a quick chat with Phil Swanson, singer for event headliners Hour of 13. Making the live debut of a band that have attracted fanatical devotion in the underground over the course of their two albums is no simple decision, particularly when the group is a duo and lacks the full band that would make the transition from studio to stage much smoother.

Phil is himself based in Connecticut, with bandmate Chad Davis stationed several hundred miles away in North Carolina. Pulling over from the chaos of the freeway after a busy day’s work, a crackly phone-line connected Lorcan Archer with the man himself.

MI: Ireland is a long way to come to play your first gig, but HO13 seem like a band that don’t balk at long distances. The group has now succeeded in putting out two very well-received albums (Self-Titled and this year’s The Ritualist). Did the distance prove a big challenge when making the music?

Phil:  “Not really, because I’ve really been doing this sort of long distance stuff for a while. I sing for another band in Germany, Atlantean Kodex (epic Metal in every sense of the word – LA), and I also sing for Seamount, who are also a German based band. We’re getting ready to release our third Seamount album shortly.

So in that respect, North Carolina’s not that bad for distance. For the first HO13 record I went down to North Carolina and recorded in a studio, but nowadays we do all our own recording. It’s really just much easier. We prefer it that way, to not be restricted to go to a certain city to record, or by time or whatever. It’s been pretty effortless with the last record.

We actually rented out a multi-million dollar studio for the first, self-titled Hour of 13 record. Believe it or not, it’s one of the most expensive studios on the East Coast here. We recorded it all together but we were not as happy recording there as with our second.

The place was actually an old stone church that was restored in the 1930’s, and everything was recorded under Cathedral ceilings. It was ridiculous how nice and comfortable it was! But it just didn’t work, for our style of music it almost ruined it. It was just way more comfortable the second time around when we did it all ourselves.

I don’t like studios. I’m not comfortable in them. With time pressing in and people around me, ugh! The technology simply allows us just to do it ourselves now.

We can work at our own time and our own pace and performances are always right if you can do them again and again. You do it when you’re ready to do it, then you just hit record. The home equipment we use now is almost equilivent to more basic set-up they had in the 80’s.”

Continue reading:  Metal Ireland » Blog Archive » Hour Of 13 | Interview.

This is exactly where Uppsala, Sweden’s Noctum reside. One listen to their two-track promo (which can be listened at their MySpace), and it becomes obvious that they have done their homework… And goddamn if they aren’t A students. In fact, they just might be too good at replicating the old gods of metal.

But, if you’re gonna worship, where better than at the throne of the mighty Black Sabbath, which Noctum do to good effect on the opener ‘Children of Darkness.’ This heavy track emits a Black Sabbath vibe, punctuated by riffs—courtesy of guitarist Per Wikström—that would surely make Tony Iommi proud. Wikström is supported by bassist Tobias Rosén and drummer Gustaf Heinemann, who also do their best to conjur the Sabbathian rhythm section.

Continue reading: MetalKult » Notes From the Underground: NOCTUM.

Will the Japanese stoner sludge serial killer onslaught never end?? We sure hope not. Especially in light of this collection of old, rare, unreleased and out of print tracks from one of the heaviest bands in Japan. Corrupted may have the market cornered on sludge, and Boris definitely has the drone-dirge segment all sewn up, but that leaves Church Of Misery to duke it out with the equally brutal Green Machine for the groovy, druggy, sludge-y stonery BIG RIFF contingent.

Early Works definitely helps the cause, with two discs bursting with splattery serial killer soundbites, plague-of-locusts riffery, skull crushing drumming, and a truly hellish howl of a lead vocalist. Plus unlike many of their metallic brethren, CoM can indeed SHRED, and whip out squiggly acid soaked leads at the drop of a hat, giving the proceedings a classic psych-rock / drug-rock feel, on top of the already suffocatingly heavy sludge already oozing from every crack.

This compilation collects the long out of print split with sHEAVY, featuring odes to Manson, Charles Whiteman, and Jim Jones, as well as the Taste The Pain mini-album with songs about Dahmer, Graham Young, and Ed Gein, as well as an insane version of Iron Butterfly’s ‘In A Gadda Da Vidda.’

Tacked on are lots of random compilation tracks including a Trouble cover, a Black Widow cover, a Death SS cover and an unreleased track. Church Of Misery are so amazing, it’s too bad that their singleminded obsession with serial killers, and their continued use of serial killer soundbites keeps them from appealing to a wider audience. It is too bad, but who can argue? The music is strangely and perfectly suited to CoM’s tales of murder and mayhem, victims and killers.

At 40 years old, Aquarius is the oldest independent record store in San Francisco. We try to only carry music we love, and we’re always searching for more new, cool, weird and wonderful music. All of which we then share with you, our loyal customers.

“[Batillus] understands that riffs go a long way, but having a killer tone pushes them even further. [...] ‘Gravel Chime’ is a winner, as it maintains momentum even at its slowest and grooves like a motherfucker” – StonerRock.com.

Said Griffin of the band’s latest output: “The new album, ‘As A Dog Returns’, picks up dynamically where ‘The Black Is Never Far’ left off. Where ‘The Black…’ album had a bit more of a depressive theme lyrically, the new album tends to look to a brighter outcome. Musically we’ve gone further than ever before with dynamics and production. Though all the Place of Skulls’ brand of heaviness you would expect is certainly there, there’s a nice ebb and flow with quieter parts which tend to set a very dramatic and melancholy mood at times to the overall album.

“With every album we’ve done,” he continued, “our growth and progression has been evident, and this new release is no different. I’m really enjoying the growth of my songwriting as time goes by. I don’t feel as if I have anything to prove so I think the writing gets more open, honest, and genuine with every release.

“We’re very excited to finally get a new album out and hit the road again!”

As A Dog Returns track listing

01. Timeless Hearts
02. Breath Of Life
03. Though He Slay Me
04. Psalm
05. Dayspring
06. The Maker
07. He’s God
08. Desperation
09. As A Dog Returns

Formed in early 2000 by guitarist / singer / songwriter Victor Griffin, bassist Lee Abney and drummer Tim Tomaselli, PLACE OF SKULLS — a biblical reference to Golgotha — carries the torch of prior Griffin and Abney bands such as Death Row and Pentagram in the ever-burgeoning underground scene of doom metal. But as their sound continues to expand beyond those boundaries, they incorporate intricate dynamics in their songs that few bands of the same genre explore and lyrically reflect upon their spiritual beliefs, faith, God, politics, and the search for peace.

Having stepped outside the proverbial box of “doom metal,” Place of Skulls opens the door of accessibility to a whole other cross section of heavy rock enthusiast. But by no means should this be taken lightly. Their sound is as crushing and molten live as ever and no less threatening than any of their musical counterparts in volume.