Posts Tagged ‘JJ Koczan’

Album of the day: The House of Capricorn – Sign of the Cloven Hoof

Posted on Wednesday, October 19th, 2011

Lovingly pinched from The Obelisk: With one of the most beautiful cities in one of the world’s most beautiful regions as their backdrop, Auckland, New Zealand’s The House of Capricorn make their full-length debut with Sign of the Cloven Hoof (Swamps of One Tree Hill), and though it seems with the most superficial of readings – basically that of the names of the band, album and some of the tracks – that The House of Capricorn are simply going to be trotting out the doom clichés one at a time, the reality of the songs on Sign of the Cloven Hoof is far more intricate and individual.  An old school single-guitar four-piece, The House of Capricorn offer pleasant surprises right off the bat, with able use of melody and a solid balance of influences.

My first impression on hearing Sign of the Cloven Hoof was, “Well, Trouble has made it to New Zealand,” but the truth is that The House of Capricorn have more going on than mere aping of traditional doom. Vocalist Marko Pavlovic has a balance of gruffness and singing in his voice that reminds me of Steve Brooks’ work in Floor, and though he strains at times on these songs, he nonetheless gets where he is going without any real trouble.

The first two of the total 13 tracks on Sign of the Cloven Hoof pass relatively quickly, but it’s with “A Devilish Manifesto” that the album has its first real moment of impact, and his voice is a big part of what makes it hit so hard.

Continue reading: The House of Capricorn Reside Under the Sign of the Southern Cross
Courtesy of JJ Koczan / The Obelisk

Tags: Album of the day, JJ Koczan, Marko Pavlovic, Occult Rock, Sign of the Cloven Hoof, Swamps Of One Tree Hill, The House of Capricorn, The Obelisk
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Album of the day: Black Cobra – Invernal

Posted on Thursday, September 29th, 2011

Lovingly pinched from The Obelisk: They are among the upper echelon of today’s heavy live acts, but that has turned out to be the undoing of each successive full-length from near-nomadic Los Angeles duo Black Cobra: The inability to stand up to the high standard set by the live show. ...read more

Album of the day: Spirits of the Dead – The Great God Pan

Posted on Thursday, September 22nd, 2011

Lovingly pinched from The Obelisk: The well-received Norwegian four-piece Spirits of the Dead released their self-titled debut in 2010 to what was – if the extensive collection of press quotes is anything to go by – considerable fanfare. The follow-up to said debut arrives in the form of The Great ...read more

Album of the day: Mars Red Sky – Mars Red Sky

Posted on Wednesday, September 14th, 2011

Lovingly pinched from The Obelisk: Making their home in the rich dirt of France’s Bordeaux region, the trio Mars Red Sky specialize in gorgeously-toned and natural-sounding fuzz that comes on huge and overwhelming, but is rife also with engaging melody and psychedelic flourish. Guitarist Julien Pras (also Calc) is like ...read more

Album of the day: Rwake – Rest

Posted on Wednesday, September 7th, 2011

Lovingly pinched from The Obelisk: While embroiled in the 53 minutes of Rwake’s new album, Rest, you feel every second of the four and a half years it’s been since Voices of Omens came out in February 2007. That record was Rwake’s Relapse Records debut, and in some ways, the ...read more

Album of the day: Blut – Grief and Incurable Pain

Posted on Wednesday, August 3rd, 2011

Lovingly pinched from The Obelisk: Apart from a sample at the beginning of the first of its two tracks that’s soon swallowed whole by a distortion tsunami and some screams peppered throughout both tracks, there is no discernible speech anywhere within the just under 70 minutes of Blut’s second full-length ...read more

The Obelisk : In Conversation With YOB’s Mike Scheidt

Posted on Thursday, July 21st, 2011

JJ Koczan of The Obelisk recently conducted an interview with Mike Scheidt of YOB, and it features questions focusing on the band’s second album for Profound Lore, called Atma, which will be released on Aug. 16,  and much more. The Obelisk: At this point, do you have something that’s a definitive ...read more

Album of the day: Backwoods Payback – Momantha

Posted on Saturday, July 16th, 2011

Lovingly pinched from The Obelisk: It was kind of a surprise when Small Stone signed West Chester, Pennsylvania, riff mongers Backwoods Payback. Not that the band is undeserving. In the live arena, they stand up to anyone you want to put them against (including, regularly, formidable labelmates Lo-Pan), but their ...read more

Album of the day: Yob – Atma

Posted on Tuesday, July 12th, 2011

Lovingly pinched from The Obelisk: YOB’s 2009 return, The Great Cessation, was fueled by a seething anger so visceral it practically stabbed its way out of the speakers. The Eugene, Oregon, trio’s first release for Profound Lore following a breakup after 2005’s landmark The Unreal Never Lived and the ensuing ...read more

Album of the day: Faces of Bayon – Heart of the Fire

Posted on Tuesday, June 14th, 2011

Lovingly pinched from The Obelisk: Proffering doomed desolation with just an edge of riff worship and plenty of tonal brutality, Massachusetts trio Faces of Bayon leave a huge impression with their debut full-length, Heart of the Fire (Ragnarok Records). The Fitchburg outfit formed in 2008, recorded all of Heart of ...read more