Monday, new week, time for us to hail a album with "Record Of he Week".
HÄXMÄSTAREN, the Gothenburg’s stoner/doom/sludge behemoths serves us with a release of their explosive sophomore album "Sol I Exil"!
HÄXMÄSTAREN is from Gothenburg, Sweden formed in early 2017. Debut album "Haexprocess" was released in 2018, and the band self released the follow up, "Sol I Exil" in March 12, 2021 and then they signed a deal with the Swedish Majestic Mountain Records for a proper release, the Vinyl got shipped in the end of August, where the wax came in a wicked, transparent gren and yellow haze. Almost looks like an eye of a "HÄXMÄSTARE", lol.
"Sol I Exil" is a flaming sledgehammer of stoner doom and blackened sludge, walking the thin line between blackened sludge and traditional heavy metal. Already from the opening tune "Blood Moon" they serve us with banging hard with breakneck riffage, whiskey soaked vocals that at times gets terribly angry, spits and hisses, the end result is brilliant. "Millennium Phenomenon" is a fablous piece with rumbling bass line and thundering drums along with some ferocious guitar playing, and serves us with a hypnotic guitar riff and searing solos that makes me cringe. "Wavelurker" and "Growing Horns" shows the blackened side of the band, here the musical influence palette gotten some more choices, where the mix of selected ingredients are very wise. The metal is still thick as syrup and wonderfully crunchy on the blackened parts. Where in "Children Of The Mountain" they set fire on the blackened side, the guttural growls haunts out it's own extremities with a surging energy. Some sludgy doom roots in "Dödskult Ritual" and the title tune "Sol I Exil", where the lyrics are sung in their Swedish mother tongue. The later one closes the album with a swinging groove, with some doomy vocals that burst out to the hallowed howls of the damned, cleavery musican ship between the members serves us marvelous drumming, clear and distorted bass and a bautiful guitar handeling. "Sol I Exil" is a marvelous album, highly recomended.
Sum: "Sol I Exil" is a top notch doomy piece that you can't miss!
Today's tune "Sol I Exil", the title tune from the new album, enjoy!
Monday and it's a new week, time for us to present "Record Of The Week".
It was barely a year and a half ago when we got served "Aeromantic" by the Swedish classic rock/AOR supergroup THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA, read about it here! Now they are back with a follow-up and their formula may no longer have the surprise factor of earlier efforts, it's already their sixth album and they simply titled the new one with "Aeromantic II", where they take us on another journey telling the stories of broken hearts, hopeful beginnings and glorious party nights! I guess that they probably were a few songs left from the previous one and that they could not tour with the album quite simply continue to fill up the already solid collection of songs for an upcoming tour when this misery finally releases.
If you loved the previous album "Aeromantic", then you can just skip this post and go buy the record, it will be right in your alley for sure. But if you are curious, then I offer an review of my thoughts on "Aeromantic II".
The album opens up with big 80's keys in "Violent Indigo", with great riffs and a catchy overall feeling, a big chorus, a great opener. Cool guitars open up the next tune inline "Midnight Marvelous" which switches to a real funky dance number, where you can easily show off your Travolta moves, incredibly catchy Disco with some cool beats, and a great solo. The tempo is increased further "How Long", a tune that has been described as "90s DEEP PURPLE on cocaine", and I can only agree as this is true eargasm, so catchy and driven tune makes it impossible to keep your feet steady on the ground. The opening tunes on "Burn For Me" is like a flash movie from the '80s were plenty of hit tunes flying by in seconds. The tune is another very catchy piece and the flashes continue, I see Elton John's wonderfully crazy piano playing, Steve Lukather from TOTO playing a few riffs, Phil Collins on drums, and so on. TNFO really makes images spin for the listener, especially those who were there right away when everything was for real. Shit, starting to feel old now, lol. It's a marvelous tune. And it doesn't stop here, it's time for a real feel-good dinner tune in "Chardonnay Nights", a little more secluded, still incredibly driven with cheeky passages and brilliant singing. "Change" serves us with more keys, big keys, great drumbeat, a bit different layout but I love what I hear and I get pictures in my brain from movies where this would fit in, feels like a song that would work in preparation for something, a march, a warm-up, etc., I think of movies like Top Gun, Rocky, and others. "Amber Through A Window" gives us a progressive pop disco, a great beat, catchy chorus, and some small fine delicate features here and there, well done guys. "I Will Try" gives us some big beats from the past where TEARS FOR FEARS comes to mind. "You Belong To The Night" gives us an Asian Disco feeling, a nice dance number to shake up to on the nearest club. "Zodiac" is a number that offers a slightly different approach, wandering bass lick, picking guitar, fast drum beat, but everything is spiced with very good singing that makes the result as good as possible. "White Jeans" was the first single and video from this album, a classic TNFO tune in the best possible way, a magic song. The album closes up with "Moonlit Skies", a big tune in a lower tempo where all the extra energy is played on the instruments. As everything is played in a dual sense, really cool and gives us the end of an era, and the beginning of an empire. The album "Aeromantic II" is a great follow-up that showcases a hungry band that still has its creativity on top to serve as a feel-good power-rock airborne soap opera, get it! And I'm sure the band will have a nightmare about making a setlist for the upcoming tour, haha!
Sum: All you need in search of love and adventure.
Musicians:
Björn Strid / Lead and Backing vocals
David Andersson / Guitars
Sharlee D’Angelo / Bass
Sebastian Forslund / Guitars, percussion
Jonas Källsbäck / Drums
John Manhattan Lönnmyr / Keyboards
Anna Brygård / Backing Vocals
AnnaMia Bonde / Backing Vocals
“Aeromantic II” was released on September 3:rd via Nuclear Blast Records.
Today's tune "Burn For Me" is a great tune from "Aeromantic II", so fasten your seatbelts and get ready for a magical journey!
"Celestial Blues" is the sophomore album by KING WOMAN. Led by the hypnotic and breathy vocal dramatics of Kris Esfandiari. KING WOMAN unveil a profoundly crafted opus of brooding, ethereal doom-rock. Produced by Jack Shirley (DEAFHEAVEN, WRECK & REFERENCE, OATHBREAKER).
Feeling compelled to reshape the biblical archetypes that once bound her, Esfandiari has created a theatrical tale of rebellion, tragedy, and triumph — a metaphor for her own personal experiences over the years — "Celestial Blues" was born. The former’s name refers to Lucifer himself, taking root in a John Milton-ish humanization of the Biblical adversary.
Esfandiari has written an epic poem in blank verse where the dramatic tone for the record is set with "Morning Star" where "Lucifer, falling from the heights" with an primeval echo in the heavy riffs by Peter Arsendorf that played both bass and guitar on the album in the absence of former guitarist Colin Gallagher and drums beaten with a firm handshake by Joey Raygoza. "Boghz" is about the delicate line between love and drugs. Beautiful-sounding tones begin "Golgotha" which invites to some gymnastics choirs, laze distorted guitars and violins that try to hide the bloody lyrics. "Coil" is a massive wall of big sounds in this punkish gospel. "Entwined" starts nicely at a low tide pace, only when halfway has been passed, it break loose and she sings "I've been fucking around my whole life, No more". In "Psychic Wound" she get enslaved by the pinions under seductive rule. The music surrounds in a horror theme around her screams. A bass line lick opens up "Ruse" is another story of betrayal in the sense of intoxication. The album closes really beautiful in "Paradise Lost" where the inspiration is taken from John Milton epic poem, a neat guitar and soft drums along with a naked and soulful vocals makes me shiver. "Celestial Blues" is marvelous and so different, as the lyrics is very important to understand it's composition and meaning, the music frames up the story very well. Highly recomend to spin this with headphones.
"Celestial Blues" was recorded in Oakland, California by GRAMMY-nominated engineer Jack Shirley (DEAFHEAVEN, WRECK & REFERENCE, ANENRA, OATHBREAKER). Released July 30, 2021 by Relapse Records
Sum: "Celestial Blues" is one of the year's most evocative records.
Today's tune "Morning Star", taken from "Celestial Blues", The video is pretty creepy and get's me think about Marilyn Manson, could this be his sister???, well enjoy!
Monday, a new week and it's time to introduce "Record Of The Week".
The Swedish and Gothenburg-based heavy rock/doom metal band WOLVES IN HAZE will drop their second full-length album "Chaos Reigns", on Sept. 3 through Majestic Mountain and Tvåtakt Records. WOLVES IN HAZE was formed in 2014 and release their self-titled debut in 2016.
WOLVES IN HAZE is a new acquaintance, but after playing the promo I must say that I am very impressed.
"Chaos Reigns" opens up with "Green River Speaks", sea breeze, drums, and a black roar from the underworld start up the album until the thick guitars kick in. The vocals of guitarist Manne Olander is rough, melodic, and very comfortable and gives the steam roller exactly the lubrication it needs for impeccable rolling. The guitars of Manne Olander and Olle Hansson sound really nice and it's very difficult to stay away from playing air guitar. The rhythm section of the drummer and bassist Kalle Lilja gives the tune a great mix. At the first spin before I read all the intel about this I thought it was Feffe Berglund, singer from BOMBUS behind the microphone as they sound very similar at first sight. Nothing bad at all, love Feffe and now I love Manne. "Way In Haze" follows up with more furious guitar work in a very melodic way. The vocals are more strained, slightly pissed off but controlled and work out really good in this smasher. Followed up by "In Fire" where the tempo is screwed up a notch with a much harder and rawer approach, punkish, almost hardcore in a mix of REFUSED and RAISED FIST, to refer to some Swedish bands. In "The Night Stalker" drags WOLVES IN HAZE you down a filthy path of raucously raw, death metal-infused rock and bloody roll. Old school death metal riffs and some abysmal vocal parts by the guest singer Tomas Lindberg (AT THE GATES), the result is unexpected and very good. The heaviness continues in "Tormentor" where they pick the influences from the past. Halfway thru the album and it's time to slows down in "My Destroyer", where acoustic guitars along with a soulful duo vocal between a man and a woman that both are lurking in danger. The guest female vocalist is Martina Svärd from the Swedish psychedelic rock band TORNET. A beautiful piece to recharge the batteries for the next part of the album. With a steady attitude, we move on to "Beyond Perception", a dreamy melodic but still very riff-based. "Into The Grave" serves us a high tempo and power riffing piece which changes to more dirty punkish rock in "Heat Of The Moment" to then pull up collar a notch and invite us to a melodic riff party "Breath In The Night" until we reaches the end and it's time for the title track "Chaos Reigns" to tie this album together and end this in a completely magical way, an instrumental piece where they pick all the best pieces of their own creation and lets the instruments speak, where the chaos must be overcome at all costs and when we reach the crescendo by an electric force and evil has been defeated and a silence arises and chaos ceases to rule.
This is an excellent album, it's dirty, heavy, doomy, and punky! Really well-made album. Give it a spin and I promise you!
Once it spins for you, it will drag you down to its chaotic journey!
"Chaos Reigns" is produced, recorded & mixed by Kalle Lilja & Per Stålberg at Welfare Sounds. Assisting engineering by Olle Björk. Mastered by Daniel Johansson at Welfare Sounds Mastering. The band is strengthened up with the bassist Emil Rolof to be a full four-piece band.
Monday, new week, time for us to present "Record Of The Week".
The Poughkeepsie, New Yorkers GENGHIS TRON make their return with their highly anticipated new album, "Dream Weapon". The band’s first new studio outing in over a decade, GENGHIS TRON's Hamilton Jordan and Michael Sochynsky are now joined by two new collaborators: vocalist Tony Wolski and SUMAC/BAPTISTS drummer Nick Yacyshyn. Together, the lineup perfects the unique mix of extreme rock and electronic music GENGHIS TRON has pioneered over their storied career. A melding of hypnotic rhythms and densely layered synth soundscapes, "Dream Weapon" was recorded and produced alongside long-time collaborator Kurt Ballou at God City Studio in Salem, Massachusetts, with additional production and engineering by Ben Chisolm (Chelsea Wolfe) and JJ Heath (RAIN CITY RECORDERS).
"Dream Weapon" is an interesting journey, and I must say that I really dig this a bit far out way to create music, where all the best pieces are put together in a marvelous mix. Lyrically and conceptually, "Dream Weapon" picks up where "Board Up The House" left off. With this album there are some new elements were introduced, the trance-like repetition that during the time gets very meditative and hypnotic, very loosely, an album-length meditation on that theme.
From the short instrumental introduction in the opener "Exit Perfect Mind" makes the way for the first electronic chapter "Pyrocene" and in here we get the first notice of the changes in the personnel of the band that I find very positive and suits this new step away from the metal genre. The title tune is more bombastic and chaotic with a hell of a drum performance witch overall is a marvelous tune. To cool things off a bit the band offers a two minutes interlude with "Desert Stairs" that is like the aftermath of the tornado that exhales and the follows up by the seven minutes "Alone In The Heart Of The Light" that serves us with an atmospheric and electronic color palette that paints up the vivid landscape of the day after tomorrow. "Ritual Circle" is the longest piece on the album with its ten minutes adventurous journey and feels like it continues the previous track and gives it a proper ending to be followed up by the progressive "Single Black Point" until it's time to wrap up the album with the closer "Great Mother", a big and powerful piece that shifts from beautiful passages into noisy walls of distorted guitars. The album is a very good one and I find this to be a very exciting and interesting piece of art and it also tells us that GENGHIS TRON has grown up and entered a more focused state. "Dream Weapon" was released on 26 March 2021, by Relapse.
Sum: "Dream Weapon" is a genre-defying innovation, highly recommended.
Today's tune is the title track from "Dream Weapon", enjoy!
VILLAGERS have released "So Simpatico", the second single from their fifth upcoming album "Fever Dreams", set to be released 20th August 2021.
The tune, which comes with a Rosie Barrett-directed music video, the frontman Conor O’Brien says that the tune is about “devotion – whether to a person, the self, or the art of being”. See the video below.
"Fever Dreams" is written over the course of two years, the main bodies of the songs were recorded in a series of full-band studio sessions in late 2019 and early 2020. Over the course of the long, slow pandemic days, O’Brien refined them in his tiny home studio in Dublin, and the album was then mixed by David Wrench (Frank Ocean, THE XX, FKA TWIGS).
O’Brien says on the gestation of "Fever Dreams": “I had an urge to write something that was as generous to the listener as it was to myself. Sometimes the most delirious states can produce the most ecstatic, euphoric and escapist dreams.”
VILLAGERS are an Irish indie folk band from Dublin, founded in 2008 by Conor J. O'Brien.
Band
Drums - Brendan Doherty
Bass - Danny Snow
Keys & BVs - Kevin Corcoran
Synth & BVs - Brendan Jenkinson
Tenor Saxophone - Ben Castle
Vocals & guitar - Conor J. O'Brien
Enjoy today's tune "So Simpatico", taken from the upcoming album "Fever Dreams".
Monday, time to present last "Record Of The Week" for this season, yes it will back for the next season in August! A little summer holiday.
Swedish doom rockers ALASTOR are back and have hunkered down to summon the 7-tune spooky doomish gospel "Onwards And Downwards" is about (in the words of guitarist Hampus Sandell) “…one person’s gradual slip into insanity. An ongoing nightmare without end. It also sums up the state of the world around us as this year has clearly shown.”
ALASTOR is a four piece band from the southern parts of Sweden who plays psychedelic spooky doom with a focus on heavy riffs on high volume. They combine their love for slow music, grindhouse horror, doom and the occult to invoke a feeling of trance and fear in their listeners. The quartet released its epic 3-song debut album "Black Magic" in early 2017 via Twin Earth Records, followed by the 2-track “Blood On Satan’s Claw” EP on Halloween the same year that also included the excellent cover "Bad Moon Rising", by CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL. Joining forces with RidingEasy Records in 2018 and released "Slave To The Grave", read about it here!
"Onwards And Downwards" contains seven spooky tunes with a run time of 46 minutes of old-school heavy rock, with a mix between doom metal and psychedelic hard rock. The tunes ozes with occult moods and distorted spookyness along with syrup heavy riffs, engaging melodies, and psychedelic vibes along with great vocals that woven in brilliant to the doomish ocean. The tunes are well written with great hooks and alot of catchy moments that makes this three-quarters a well spent time.
From the opening "The Killer In My Skull" the thick, slightly manic but incredibly well played and performed makes you almost drown in the sluggish liquid batter. Smiling as I gasp for breath when "Dead Things In Jars" creeps in, the distorted sounds makes you almost lose your balance. Almost twenty minutes have passed when it's time for really heavy drums at a slightly faster pace than we are used to when it comes to ALASTOR. This blasting rockers is a real threat on the album that includes a really cool bass groove and piano inlay. Back to the heavy and slower tempo in "Nightmare Trip", an excellent fuzzy piece from the band. "Pipsvängen" is an instrumenta acoustic beautiful piece which gives some respite before it's time for the last two toffees of the almost ten minute title track, a spooky graveyard thingie with some very melodic melody that is really haunting. It also have a great guitar interlude in the end. The ending piece "Lost And Never Found" is another heavy thick piece that closes up with the flag on the top. The album is well produced and sounds really good and organic. This is ALASTORs most accessible album yet and i'm really happy to hear some new tunes from these fellows and I do enjoy this album and highly recommend to get a copy wile you can! Release in May 28th, 2021 via RidingEasy Records
Sum: Die in fire.
Line Up:
Robin Arnryd – Bass, Vocals
Hampus Sandell – Guitar
Johan Björmander – Guitar
Jim Nordström – Drums
Today's tune "Death Cult", taken from "Onwards And Downwards",enjoy!
The Portland, Oregon quartet RED FANG have established themselves as one of the heavy rockers more engaging acts. Since the start with amazing 2011's "Murder The Mountains" and last release with 2016's "Only Ghosts", they have with thier infectious gooves and energetic powerful riffs made a name in the riff rock scene, a band that most nowerdays knows about.
"Arrows" is the fifth full-lengt album and was recorded at Halfling Studios in the band’s hometown of Portland, OR, with longtime collaborator Chris Funk, producer of "Murder The Mountains" and 2013’s "Whales And Leeches". The album was released June 4, 2021 via Relapse Records.
"Arrows", takes a slightly different direction for the band, loose screws and half inflated tires, the wheels are more dirty and the sound is woozy and gruffy where influenses could easly be HIGH ON FIRE, MELVINS and ORANGE GOBLIN. From the opening rumble intro "Take It Back" via the stoner rocker "Unreal Estate" and the crunchy doomish title track "Arrows". Tunes like full blown punkish "My Disaster" and "Dr. Owl" are cool break outs in the album along with the sharp stomp of "Rabbits In Hives". The tune "Fonzi Scheme", a tune was named after legendary Happy Days cool guy Arthur Fonzarelli. Producer Chris Funk came up with the idea of bringing in string players from the Portland Cello Project to class up the track. A track that shines MASTODON and BARONESS. Beautiful guitars in the half paced "Days Collide", where the vocals are a little more dark and withdrawn. "Why"is a magnificent thing where the bass licks gets a lot of space. The opening riff of closer "Funeral Coach" was written 11 years ago. Of course you get thoughts back to the debut, sounds magically good.
On "Arrows" do we get a adventurous journey in the dirt pit where we get served some of the dirtiest and space mutated riffs in RED FANG catalog. And they do a marvelous job to take the next step and take experimental risks with the new material. Check it up!
Sum: A grand return of RED FANG!
Today's tune "Arrows" is the title track from the new album, enjoy!
AMENRA’s first release for Relapse Records is at once a departure and a momentous act of deliverance. Stepping outside the run of albums titled "Mass I-VI", "De Doorn" casts a 21-year journey from the heart of Belgium’s crusading hardcore scene to world-renowned, spiritually guided innovators in an enthralling new light.
The album "De Doorn" is set to be release date: June 25, 2021. Recorded by Tim De Gieter at Much Luv studio, Lembeke BE.
Mastered by Frank Arkright, Abbey road studio, London UK.
Ritual, remembrance and hard-won rebirth have always been at the heart of AMENRA’s colossal, soul-purging approach. Centered around frontman Colin H. Van Eeckhout, but marked out by a transcendent unity of purpose, their albums have acted as totemic, personal marker points, a means to process individual grief as a shared, cathartic experience. Their live shows are acts of incendiary, communal exorcism that reach a cusp of sublime, out-of-body experience. A closely knit collective, they transport you to a febrile state where confrontation of pain, transformation and true healing can occur.
AMENRA is a Belgian band from Kortrijk. It was formed in 1999 by vocalist Colin H. van Eeckhout and guitarist Mathieu Vandekerckhove, who now perform alongside drummer Bjorn Lebon, guitarist Lennart Bossu and bassist Tim De Gieter. Among a number of other works, they have released six studio albums in the "Mass" series, the latest of them through Neurot Recordings. The band's unique musical style, characterised by brooding atmospheres and spiritual intensity, is rooted in doom metal, hardcore punk and post-rock. Their live performances, accompanied by visual art, have been described as "entrancing communions". In 2005, AMENRA formed Church of Ra, a collective of collaborating artists which now includes OATHBREAKER and THE BLACK HEART REBELLION.
Today's tune "De Evenmens" is taken from the upcoming album "De Doorn", enjoy!
Monday, a new week and it's time to introduce "Record Of The Week".
With album number three sees the Brighton rockers ROYAL BLOOD let loose the groove along with some pin spots that light up the mirror ball and wreak disco devastation on "Typhoons".
Brighton duo ROYAL BLOOD comprising drummer Ben Thatcher and bassist/vocalist Mike Kerr formed at the beginning of 2013. They quickly made their presence known, with pounding drums and heavily distorted bass guitar defining characteristics of their ferocious blues-rock sound. The band gained many plaudits early in their career, touring with the likes of ARCTIC MONKEYS, Iggy Pop, and FOO FIGHTERS, before going on to win Best British Group at the Brits in 2015 receiving their trophy from their musical hero and admirer LED ZEPPELIN guitarist Jimmy Page.
Their catalogue boasts the Mercury Prize nominated self-titled debut album released in 2014 that spawned hits such as "Out Of The Black, "Little Monster:, "Come On Over" and "Figure it Out", as well as their second successive UK number one album "How Did We Get So Dark?" released in 2017 which featured "Lights Out" and "I Only Lie When I Love You".
That this pandemic has given some extra boost in the creativity for some bands like it has for ROYAL BLOOD where the desire for going out clubbing again. And soon it will open up in UK and gigs will be allowed to take place. A tour is booked for the UK at the end of July, check the dates below.
"Typhoons" is a bold piece, brilliant in its timing. This was not what I had expected from this duo who with their blues-rock enchanted an entire nation. It feels like they have borrowed the golden shoes from HERREYS and exchanged ideas with THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA and created this glittery and incredibly glamorous dance number. It's very groovy, hefty riffs along with the disco-inspired rhythms from the drummer Ben Thatcher and almost a bit of nonchalant singing by Mike Kerr, which makes me think of a Manchester band. But it works for some reason, the slightly tougher, the dancing rhythms make the record a cruel party record and completely life-threatening in the car.
The album opens up with the groovy "Trouble’s Coming", a dance floor roller in the vein of JUSTICE and DAFT PUNK. It continues in "Oblivion" and in the title track "Typhoons", a catchy piece where the led lights flash in all colors. The album spreads a bit in different directions where some melodies are recognizable from before are the tunes "Who Needs Friends", "Boilermaker" and the "Either You Want It" that have some psych vibes over it. The classic electro piece "Million And One" is a treat, the popish tunes like "Limbo" and "Hold On" are both really cool tunes. The album closes up with a beautiful piano ballad "All We Have Is Now". The power and explosive bass riffing and vocal by Kerr along with his partner in crime Mr Thatcher make a marvelous job as a duo.
"Typhoons" was released on April 30 by Warner. The album was produced by Josh Homme and Paul Epworth.
Sum: A desert rock disco album you need to get for the summer!
Upcoming tour dates:
24072021
Tramlines 2021
Hillsborough Park
Sheffield, UK
25072021
Truck Festival 2021
Hill Farm
Steventon, UK
29082021
Victorious Festival 2021
Southsea Seafront
Portsmouth, UK
25032022
Bournemouth International Centre (BIC)
Bournemouth, UK
26032022
Utilia Arena Birmingham
Birmingham, UK
27032022
Motorpoint Arena Cardiff
Cardiff, UK
29032022
Motorpoint Arena Nottingham
Nottingham, UK
30032022
The O2
London, UK
01042022
First Direct Arena
Leeds, UK
02042022
AO Arena
Manchester, UK
03042022
The SSE Hydro
Glasgow, UK
Today's tune "Boilermaker" is taken from "Typhoons", enjoy!
"Ultimate Success Today" is PROTOMARTYR's fifth album. Following the release of "Relatives In Descent", the band’s critically acclaimed headlong dive into the morass of American life in 2017, "Ultimate Success Today" continues to further expand the possibilities of what a PROTOMARTYR album can sound like.
These American rock band formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 2010. The band consists of Joe Casey (vocals), Greg Ahee (guitar), Alex Leonard (drums), and Scott Davidson (bass).
To date, the band has released five studio albums: No Passion All Technique (2012), Under Color of Official Right (2014), The Agent Intellect (2015), Relatives in Descent (2017), and Ultimate Success Today (2020)
Today's tune "Processed By The Boys" is the first single from PROTOMARTYR since re-releasing their debut LP "No Passion All Technique" last year. The new single arrives with a video directed by David Allen, and is inspired by a clip of a Brazillian TV presenter being trolled by a puppet. "Processed By The Boys", taken from 'Ultimate Success Today', out now on Domino Record Co, enjoy!
Monday, new week and it's time to present "Record Of The Week".
GRETA VAN FLEET’s debut, "Anthem Of The Peaceful Army", was rather eclipsed by all the comparisons with LED ZEPPELIN. Now the the Michigan four-piece rockers are back with the sophomore "The Battle At Garden’s Gate", an album with high anticipation knockin on the door.
Well, will they meet it? Hell yeah, this is a more mature GRETA VAN FLEET and yes the ZEPPELIN still flows in the veins and yes this is freaking good. "The Battle At Garden’s Gate" have twelve tunes with a play time of one hour and 3 minutes. The album was released April 16th, 2021 by Lava/Republic Records.
The album opens up with "Heat Above" and gives the listener a first taste of what to come and will be a recurring theme throughout the album, powerful and bombastic with huge choruses and soundscape, organs and a high pitched and wide vocal range, and a big creative mind to show that the three Kiszka brothers and the drummer Danny Wagner can stand on their own legs and no need for the support wheels any longer. That the two brothers Josh and Jake takes alot of space with the special vocal voice and performance and the magical guitar tones, but they got an excellent support by a punchy rhythm duo of Wagner and Sam. The bluesy piece "My Way, Soon" is a great guitar rocker that is more direct and harder. On the 3rd tune something happens, the half paced ballad "Broken Bells" is really beautiful, Josh sings a little more down toned and caresses the notes in a magnificent way, and the guitar playing is completely frigging magical, so neat. This continues on "Built By Nations", a tune that seems to have a riff that Jimmy Page lost somewhere on the road back in the day when creativity was in full bloom. Beside that it's a wonderful piece where all four serves us as a listner a real killer of a tune, the guitar playing is amazing, the thick bass licks and the drummming pattern are crunchy and well executed, all this topped by powerful vocal. The following tune, "Age Of Machine", is a powerful one, maybe the star on the album where they mixes psychedelic and hypnotic passages with blues-rock arrangements with more complex structures and a big chorus that gives goosebumps. "Tears Of Rain" is an another half paced beauty, opens up with acoustic guitars and then it's all Josh wide vocal range, and the heartfelt performance that triumphs the tune. "Stardust Chords" is an pleasantly surprise, full of energy, amazing guitar and killer chorus with a garden theme. "Light My Love" is another slightly slower song until the RUSH riffing pice "Caravel" enters the arena where Josh really gets to excel with his singing voice. "The Barbarians" is a pretty cool rocker where the wah wah guitar comes in focus, a tune that grows on every spin. "Trip The Light Fantastic" is a tune where he sings "Away from the world we have riddled with scars", powerful chours and amazing vocals. The album closes up with "The Weight Of Dreams" an almost nine minute beautiful thing, almost like a full body massage, big and powerful, and the guitars just blow me away, this is amazingly done, I just love it and I am so happy.
To sum this up, "The Battle At Garden’s Gate" is a excellent example of a great rock and roll album with a musical craftmanship that is just stunning and they exploring new territories and their identity, giving glimpses of their potential in the process.
Sum: It’s a wonderful, comprehensive rock 'n roll record that you need to get!
GRETA VAN FLEET are:
Joshua Kiszka / Vocals
Jacob Kiszka / Guitar
Samuel Kiszka / Bass, Keys
Daniel Wagner / Drums
Today's tune "Heat Above" is the opening tune from the new album "The Battle At Garden’s Gate", enjoy!
Monday, new week, it's time for "Record Of The Week".
Today we are doing a little flashback on the previous year, 2020. For a heady portion of fuzzy riffs and desert-driven grooves with the second LP "Venus Skytrip" from UK rock merchants PSYCHLONA.
So get ready and enter the ship that will take you on a ride at the "Venus Skytrip", buckle up as there are no escaping from the hum-worthy refrains and hypnotic grooves of the eight tracks of the new album with PSYCHLONA. Any of these fuzz-wreathed tunes could be a single or video. The quality of the album is coherent at a high level, overflowing with heavy riffing that you can feel the sand between your toes, the grooviness makes it really hard to stand still without shaking a piece of your meat bag, where we get soaring melodies and psychedelic drony harmonies and excellent vocals with really captivating hum-worthy refrains already from the brilliant opening tune "Blast Off", to get electrocute on "10000 Volts", groovy "Blow", the tar-thick fuzz "Star", the bass-rumbling "Edge Of The Universe", to the beautiful "Resin" that blows you away in the crescendo that follows by the desert rock stomper "Tijuana" until its time for the nine minutes closing piece "The Owl", where we get a last trippy doom moment in the return ride home of this fantastic album. So get on this skytrip and head for Venus.
Sum: "Venus Skytrip" is a brilliant desert rock album!
"Venus Skytrip" was released August 21, 2020, via Cursed Tongue Records. Artwork by Kyrre Bjurling.
Phil - Guitar/Vocals
Dave - Guitar/Vocals
Martyn - Bass
Scott - Drums
Today's tune "Blast Off" is taken from "Venus Skytrip", enjoy!
Friday, time to get up and dance a little to PATRÓN's 2nd single "Who Do You Dance For".
PATRÓN (pronounced with a Mexican accent and an "r" that rolls under the tongue like a jelly bean soaked in lysergic acid) could be the premonitory soundtrack to Roberto Rodriguez's next feature film if it were set in a post-apocalyptic and degenerative Las Vegas where the only chance of salvation would be Barry White's resurrection.
PATRÓN is a new project fronted by Lo (aka Patrón) frontman of the band LOADING DATA. The self-titled debut album was produced by Alain Johannes (QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, ELEVEN, THEM CROOKED VULTURES, Chris Cornell Band) and also happens to be the last album ever recorded in his legendary studio 11AD, in Los Angeles.
Lo had some well-known friends record the album with him: Joey Castillo (DANZIG, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, THE BRONX), Barrett Martin (MAD SEASON, SCREAMING TREES, TUATARA), Nick Oliveri (KYUSS, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, MONDO GENERATOR), Aurélien Barbolosi (ASTON VILLA) and Monique St Walker (BLACKBIRD DAYS).
PATRÓN is a melting pot of influences, a new entity, a sort of Frankenstein creature, borrowing as much from stoner rock, 50s rock n roll, the Rat Pack as from 80s pop. It’s sexy, it’s groovy, it’s loud and heavy. Heady melodies that will stick to your skin like a thirsty alcoholic tick.
PATRÓN are:
Lo aka Patrón : Lead Vocal / Guitar / Keyboard
Joey Castillo : Drums
Nick Oliveri : Bass
Aurélien Barbolosi : Guitars
Alain Johannes : Bass, Guitar, Keyboard, Vocal
Barrett Martin : Drums
Monique St Walker : Vocals
Aurelia : Vocals
Today's tune "Who Do You Dance For" was made from home during the 2020 Coronavirus pandemic. The tune was taken from the self-titled debut album, released May 29, 2020, enjoy!
