Posts Tagged ‘JJ Koczan’

Album of the day: Place of Skulls – As a Dog Returns

Posted on Wednesday, September 1st, 2010

Lovingly pinched from The Obelisk: Four years have passed since Place of Skulls released The Black is Never Far, their third album, which was in many ways the culmination of a tumult that brought the band many changes, highs and lows. Guitarist / vocalist Victor Griffin — best known for his work in Pentagram contributing to the Maryland / D.C. doom legacy, though he actually lives in Knoxville, Tennessee these days – has always been at the helm, and that remains true as he brings together the original Place of Skulls trio for their new album, As a Dog Returns. Drummer Tim Tomaselli and bassist / vocalist Lee Abney have both been back in the band for a couple of years, replacing the likes of Pete Campbell (Sixty Watt Shaman) and Dennis Cornelius (ex-Revelation), but As a Dog Returns marks the first studio output the trio has released since Southern Lord put out Nailed in 2001.

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)

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Album of the day: The Kings of Frog Island – III

Posted on Thursday, August 19th, 2010

Lovingly pinched from The Obelisk: I was surprised to learn The Kings of Frog Island were releasing the third installment of their purported trilogy, not because two years after II was so soon, but just because I haven’t yet finished listening to that album. Nonetheless comes III, released like 2005’s ...read more

Album of the day: Spiritual Beggars – Return To Zero

Posted on Wednesday, August 11th, 2010

Lovingly pinched from The Obelisk: It wouldn’t be accurate to think of Spiritual Beggars as the first Swedish heavy rock band, because Sweden has been turned on and tuned in since the beginning, but what guitarist Michael Amott’s post Carcass outfit did was embrace a more modern stoner sound and ...read more

Album of the day: My Sleeping Karma – Tri

Posted on Wednesday, August 4th, 2010

Lovingly pinched from The Obelisk: Although I’ll always have a soft spot for My Sleeping Karma because their second album, Satya, was the first full-length I reviewed specifically for The Obelisk, it’s the German four-piece’s instrumental heavy psychedelia that endears them most of all. As Elektrohasch Schallplatten releases their third ...read more

Album of the day: Quest for Fire – Lights From Paradise

Posted on Friday, July 30th, 2010

Lovingly pinched from The Obelisk: When Tee Pee Records put out Quest for Fire’s self-titled full-length last year, I got a promo of it, and it went promptly on my shelf. I didn’t even listen. You know why? Because I knew that if I listened to it, I’d like it, ...read more

Album of the day: Heavy Water Experiments – S/T

Posted on Wednesday, July 14th, 2010

Lovingly pinched from The Obelisk: What the hell these two dudes are doing in Los Angeles is beyond me. Get thee to San Francisco! Guitarist / bassist / keyboardist / vocalist / songwriter David Melbye, who also happens to have produced Heavy Water Experiments‘ self-titled album (Intrepid Sound Recordings), and ...read more

Album of the day: El Hijo de la Aurora – Lemuria

Posted on Thursday, July 8th, 2010

Lovingly pinched from The Obelisk: Something surprising happens about seven minutes into Peruvian trio El Hijo de la Aurora’s debut CD, Lemuria (Ogro Records). What’s so far been a straightforward and admittedly terrifyingly desolate drone record takes a turn and a pure stoner rock riff is injected into the 11-minute ...read more

Album of the day: Hawkwind – Blood of the Earth

Posted on Friday, July 2nd, 2010

Lovingly pinched from The Obelisk: If I were to sit you down and tell you Hawkwind’s latest studio album, Blood of the Earth (Plastic Head) is an uncharted journey into synthed out psych-osis, would you be the least bit surprised? Not if you were aware that the Dave Brock-led band ...read more

The Obelisk: In Conversation With Ramesses’ Adam Richardson

Posted on Thursday, July 1st, 2010

JJ Koczan of The Obelisk recently conducted an interview with Ramesses‘ Adam Richardson about  how their latest album,  Take the Curse,  came together, how the band captured such aural sickness, their tour plans, relationship with Electric Wizard and more. A few excerpts from the chat follow below: The Obelisk: Take ...read more

Album of the day: The Main Street Gospel – Love Will Have Her Revenge

Posted on Thursday, July 1st, 2010

Lovingly pinched from The Obelisk: Calling the citywide hippie commune known to outsiders as Columbus, Ohio, home, retro-alterna-psych-folk rockers The Main Street Gospel make their Tee Pee Records debut with the casually ominous Love Will Have Her Revenge. The trio take notes from Neil Young (‘Getting Through’) and The Black ...read more

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