LP Review: Shepherd / Death By Fungi Split

At the beginning of 2015, we were introduced to a sludge/doom band from Bengaluru, India, with their debut full-length record Stereolithic Riffalocalypse, and it blew us away (review here), so it was sad that we recently heard that Shepherd have decided to call it a day. However, before they leave us for good, they've have released a split record with fellow Indian band Death By Fungi, who onslaught us with a hardcore edge, and it's a nice stamp in the face to remember the band by.

Perhaps it's because they're sharing a record with a hardcore band, or it was a direction that the band were heading down before they called it a day, but Shepherd have lost some of their doomier aspects (just some though) and gone for full on sludge meets hardcore, with elements of fuzzy djent in there too (you remember djent? That musical genre that lasted the summer of 2009?), and it's a sound that's exciting to behold. The record opens with five tracks from Shepherd, with 'Agents of Nihil' setting the tone with a bleak and frightening monologue from the climax of the film The Exorcist 3, before the chaotic sludge explosion assaults you, while their almost trademark chugging bass heavy riffs drive the spine of the song forward, a sound which all us doom/sludge heads will cling to. The vocals mix with light and darker growls, while they even find time to shred while the drums go off like a pneumatic drill. Shepherd, haven't lost their sound, so much as shoved a firecracker up its arse and honed the results. Our highlight of the entire record is 'Hope Comes Gnawing' with an almost funky sludge bassline continues throughout, both exciting and frightening in the same breath. 'Fungalord' and 'Weed Dealer' (Shepherd have always been a band who like to have fun with their song titles, just see 'Turdspeak' or 'Black Cock of Armageddon') are tracks which are both excellent break-neck speed sludge tracks with elements of stoner added in for, well, why the hell not? You can never really relax with these guys as they can change time signatures and pull out devilish riffs from out of nowhere. We're going to miss this band.

While the hardcore genre may not be something with which you guys out there are necessarily drawn to straight away (this being a site for the best stoner/doom/sludge/psych etc), Death By Fungi are not a band that you should ignore. While many of the trademark hardcore elements are there with constant snare beats, breakneck speed playing, high velocity shouting vocals, there are definite elements of something just that bit heavier with this band, just take the riffs with 'Edgelord Breakdown' melting your face with it's furious assault throughout and the anger of the vocals screaming "You've failed me so many times!", they take the elements of sludge which Shepherd bring to the table and put their own spin on it, and it becomes an invigorating and refreshing listen. 'Dead Soil' morphs into a sound which is like doom on acid, with a fluctuating heart rate that'll kill you with a smile on your face.

Even though Shepherd have sped up their sonic game, they're still the slower, sludgier of the two bands here, and the compliment each other well. If this indeed does prove to be Shepherd's final opus (bands do get back together after all) then it's a mighty fine closing on a short, but heavy-as-fuck career, one which you're a fool to have missed so far (but thanks for introducing us to Death By Fungi on your way out). Get this record now and give your ears a good kicking!

Facebook|Bandcamp|Facebook

QUICK HIT: Shotgun Sawyer's "8 Bangers"

Fresh stoner/blues produce from the Auburn, California trio of Brett, Dylan, and David, better known as Shotgun Sawyer, has just been released on a split EP with fellow rockers BandMaster Ruckus. The split is appropriately titled "8 Bangers". Shotgun Sawyer's 4 contributions are sticky sweet, gingerbush salty, and euphorically addictive, hallmarks all of their entire, if brief and budding, atheneum.

You might recall that last August Reviewmeister Pete posted a review of Shotgun Sawyer's incredible LP "Thunderchief", one of the best rock album's of that year, or any year. A follow up in a mere six months is an unexpected and welcome treat, a high octane scratch for an ever-urgent itch.

bandcamp ... facebook ... website

DESERT STORM / SUNS OF THUNDER: SPLIT

Coming this week will be an opportunity to pre-order a 7" vinyl split between veteran heavy rock bands Desert Storm and Suns of Thunder.

To warm up for it, here is a gateway to the archives of each band, an excursion well worth a commitment, and never before featured on Heavy Planet.


If you are not yet familiar with either band, you should find that you can enjoy their decibel busting, high wattage music from past releases. Once you've laid your dark, demented minds to waste from the blitzkrieg onslaught of ethereal musical mayhem you might find you are primed for the forthcoming vinyl offering.

DESERT STORM
Desert Storm is a stoner rock, doom rock veteran hailing from the UK. They have an archive of magnificently crafted albums stretching  back to 2008, each chock full of high voltage, low tuned awesomeness. They have been featured quite a number of times at Heavy Planet:

LP Review: Desert Storm - Omniscient
LP Review: Desert Storm - Horizontal Life
New Band to Burn One To - Desert Storm

The gravel voiced frontman Matt Ryan is the epitome of the stoner/doom rock genre, deftly delivering haymaker vocals that match the darkly laden depths of bassman Chris Benoist's thunderous thumping, the supreme riffage and scorching solos of guitarists Chris White and Ryan Cole, as well as the driving dementia of drummer Elliot Cole.

The split features the new song "Signals From Beyond" which is a melodious romp of delightfully amplified distortion, booming and crackling with resonance and grace.

SUNS OF THUNDER
Suns of Thunder are not only prolific, dropping electric energy filled rock and romp dating back to the turn of the century, but are legendary in their home country of Wales. Suns of Thunder were part of a feature on Heavy Planet in which the live event, Swamp Feast, featuring Suns of Thunder, their split partners Desert Storm, as well as The Witches Drum, was caught live by Heavy Planet:

Live Review: Swamp Feast with Honky, Desert Storm, The Witches Drum, and More

High energy, explosive, adroit riffs from dual guitarists Greg Brombroffe and Matt Williams are matched with equal power, intensity, and proficiency by the same pair on their complementary vocals. The rumble and thunder of bassist Chris James propels the music forward with a voracious capacity while the high energy mojo of the music is laid out first and foremost by the virtuoso stickwork of drummer Sam Loring.

The newly crafted song "Earn Your Stripes" delivers another example of the deftly orchestrated melodies of power riffs and raunchy fun to the split with their fellow stoner rock countrymen.

These two massive representatives of rock in the twenty-first century have teamed up to release a high quality contribution of heavy low tuned sublimity this coming April. Pre-sales begin on March 29, in which you can order your vinyl copy here:

http://www.h42records.com/

Desert Storm
facebook || bandcamp || label || website

Suns of Thunder
bandcamp || facebook || label

Quick Hit: Borracho​/​Eggnogg Split

Borracho/Eggnogg 7" Split

Back in October of 2012 these two fine bands shared the stage as a part of the CMJ Festival sponsored by yours truly. Now the pair unite on the first release in Palaver Records’ new “Sludgy Erna Bastard” series,  pairing up some of the best heavy underground acts today. The limited edition of 300 copies will be available March 19th on black vinyl, with original artwork by Eggnogg’s very own Justin Karol.

Borracho's contribution to the EP is the meaty, bare bones stoner rocker "King's Disease". Signature fuzzed-out riffing, and a tight as hell rhythm section highlight this groove-heavy track.

Bulldozer riffs and frenetic drumming highlight Eggnogg's spectacular offering "Slugworth". Great to hear something new from these dudes if only one song.

Borracho|Eggnogg

Sunday Split: Lé Betre / King Buffalo

The devil's in the details, they say. I'd argue the devil IS the details. What else could explain how Goddamn delicious things can turn out when mass production is given the middle finger and boutique labels craft a product this enticing? I don't know who sold their soul, but the attention STB records devotes to its DIY ethos is incredible. The label has already proven they're no underdog, taking mere minutes to sell out of nearly every album they've released. But how has it remained sustainable? Especially considering the dearth of vinyl pressing plants paired with increased demand (not to mention all that Record Store Day bullshit).

Last month, STB delivered a 12" tandem from Goya and Wounded Giant, executing telegraphed stoner/sludge/doom and flattening our senses. The gorgeous slab o' wax brought with it an announcement of what fans could expect next: A heavy blues split showcase between Sweden's Lé Betre and Rochester's King Buffalo. Any way you dissect it, this beast covers every hunky corner and finds two perfect marriages. First, the bands fit side-by-side like round pegs, demonstrating echoes bounced off one another while suffering no busted continuity from Side A to Side B. Second is the marvel of bracketed senses, locking the visual with the aural and sending listeners skyshot into another time and place.

Lé Betre's plucky, psych-y fuzz-fest is auspiciously introduced on the quick cruise of Gowns & Crowns. Spooky elements keep us grounded only so long before we're brought up from the thicket and flung to another continent in another era. Snake Eyes smacks us upright under massive riffs, lifting like smoke and plunging like slow-motion boulders razing the hillside. Marcus Jonsson's vocal goes classic without being derivative as a riff-resin accumulates, ultimately sending us toward a fuzz-bath closer.

By The Great White Lights slows with a somber strum before rupturing into a punchy, mossy exposal. Basslines motor this stoner-blues cruise before breaking under the simplicity of fireside lament. Jesper Eriksson sifts ash in search of bony answers, shifting moods and tempos. Stomps become shuffles, shuffles become focused trots. And the coiled, revved heaviness of Mother crushes under the weight of all of Side A. Riffs weave, cymbals emit dust, and the trodden whole is fucking brilliant. As the thickness parts, take a breath. Lé Betre end on one final, gravel-drenched promise.

Vinyl's warmth augments King Buffalo's brand of spray-painted fur, blasting a blues crunch on New Time. A distant vocal float chases the steady stoner bass-roll, while guitars flaunt a late, fixated solo. Whew, thickness abounds! Alternatively, Like A Cadillac maintains the riff-'n-roll atop a more upbeat, beer-spilt bar jam. Guitars rolls downhill and storm back, breaking strummy passages with dust storm spirals, shimmying with furry comfort and smiling at every oncoming bump in the road. This is just too fun.

On the eleven-minute Providence Eye, KB build repetitive blues progressions toward a spacey dust-roll, an extended jam of deliberate assertions. Structuring steadily, one brick after another, this closer escalates heavenward on the gradual foundations formed. Thunderous roll-outs swell and contract to craft a sound that's immersive and captivating. Guitars flex for their marquee just before pacing gives a second wind. These cats know what they're doing, hitting the brakes and plugging holes with chugging riffs. Lacing their trademarks through a steady dousing of sandy, spicy deliciousness, this trio's punching their ticket.

Experiencing these sounds on any format other than vinyl is certainly better than a kick in the neck with a golf shoe, but why reach for ground beef with prime rib on the grill? The precision and care put into the craft reach their pinnacle on this split, offering the warmest and truest delivery of an already incredible sound. Whatever's coursing through the veins of STB Records is adept at sniffing out chops, and everyone involved with this split gets today's nod.

Check out the links below at 12:00 Noon EST on February 21st. Trust us, they'll go fast.

STB Records | STB Bandcamp | STB Facebook | Lé Betre Bandcamp | Lé Betre Facebook | King Buffalo Bandcamp | King Buffalo Site | King Buffalo Facebook

Sunday Split: Goya / Wounded Giant

Enough of the leftovers. I've gorged myself into a turkey-hash and cranberry coma over the course of three days, placing me in perfect position to try something new, fresh, and (as luck would have it) fucking sinister. I don't feature many splits on these Sundays, primarily because so many end up featuring (heads:) one band's best effort and (tails:) another's obligatory toss-off. But pair two left coast stoner-doom titans and you've piqued my interest.

"In ancient Rome, there was a poem... About a dog who had two bones. He picked at one, he licked the other... He went in circles 'til he dropped dead." 

Come 2015, STB Records will release a split LP tandem featuring Phoenix's Goya and Seattle's Wounded Giant, certifiably cementing both acts as forces in a riffed landscape of dust and sand. After one spin, you'll struggle to decide which act deserves the first nod toward another listen. It really doesn't matter, so long as you make no haste. I do my best to be cerebral and offer poignant, insightful perspectives on the sounds sent my way. But these three tracks kicked in my teeth and made my hands shake, rendering me damn-near unable to even grip a knob to elevate the decibels.

First consider Goya's fourteen-tick No Place In The Sky, shelling their own weed-doom blitz while staying true to the form evident on last year's crushing 777. This opener immediately drips with hovering fuzz, masking a patient riff-mist and snagging reluctant drums for the ride-along. In hindsight, it's deceptive considering the full-brunt drop of doom ushered in by the succession of relentless blows. As riffs manipulate a canopy of smoke, Jeff Owens' vocal is haunted by its own shadow and stalked by his fractured fret licks. Beyond the midpoint, his guitar cracks what's disheartening and desolate by imposing blisters you'll never let heal. The rhythmic churn never loses steam behind Nick Lose and Chad Moline, slow-rolling toward an acceptance of fate. Short of a few brief, sporadic firings, the ungodly stagger leaves us peeling at our own hot skin, barely seeking sense in this teeming pool. Fourteen minutes? I'd let this one glaze me for fourteen days.

Flip the wax and you'll find Wounded Giant's one-two, led by The Room Of The Torch. Juxtaposing side one as more than a shade quicker, the track is no less imposing. Bathed in hot shit but looking toward a fading sun, these sludge rhythms give way to doom sensibilities. As a ritualistic gathering appears imminent, listeners are quickly pulled back into dragged-knuckle cruises and coated with skin-tingling sustain. Strap in and hold on as we quickly convert to unhinged stoner acceleration. Psychedelia saturates as we dig into a steamy swamp escape that's as deceptive as it is delicious.

Swaying and swinging with concrete fists is Dystheist, the split's epic closing coup. If this giant's wounded, he's hardly fucking bothered by it. Distant hover is merely a harbinger of the settling spook and ethereal pipes brought by Bobby James. Riff tarps wrap and suffocate atop a sticky, malevolent tempo led by Alex Bytnar's punchy charges. This track, boiled down to terms your haze can understand, is an embrace of the negative. Wounded Giant's unmistakable 70's salute remains in their back pocket, but the swirls toward an epic closing storm of exploding light marks a stomp apart from their brilliant Lightning Medicine.

You're wasting your time in search of another split this complete. Goya and Wounded Giant each bark their case as the marquee act. But clearly, both trios commit to embrace the other and peer downhill at the devastation they've collectively scattered behind them. Perhaps these three tracks can finally provide your mom with enough worry to simply leave you alone in the basement rather than investigate that skunky waft. If you've made it this far, she knows she's lost you. STB is only churning 430 of these on wax. I know you're weary, but try acting fast.

Specs:

Released January 3rd, 2015

Limited vinyl pressing of 430

Die Hard Edition - 80 pieces
Band Only - 100 pieces
OBI Series - 100 pieces
Not-So Standard Edition - 150 pieces

Mastered specifically for vinyl

Exclusive artwork done by David Paul Seymour

STB Records | Facebook | STB Bandcamp

And in the meantime...

Bandcamp | Facebook

Bandcamp | Facebook

Sunday Sludge: Graves At Sea / Sourvein - Split EP

Pastels piss me off. I can't stand the soft hues and saturation of all things spring, and Easter is particularly irritating for a myriad of reasons. It's everywhere, and so are the lies and misconceptions. Think of it as Thanksgiving's cute younger sister who pretends she isn't a dirty little whore.

I needed to blacken my season, particularly on a day like today. It didn't take long to find the perfect sludge/doom one-two, transcending coasts and spreading slow, steaming shit across my neighbor's holiday display. Cave-crawlers Graves at Sea lace up with veteran plodders Sourvein for a split that'll answer everyone's questions as to why you didn't make it to church this morning. These five tracks are low, filthy, and quite the opposite of the sunny-sided optimism taped to suburban windows.

Graves at Sea take first crack at convention on a Billy Anderson-recorded tandem of Betting On Black and Confession. The former offers an ominous and haunting drone hover until we're staggered by a collapse of grinding doom. Thunderous slugs welcome the trademark vocal accost of Gollum and abundant abrasion. Rhythms lurch and lag, pushing and dragging under a mood despondent with slivers of deception. The plod and stomp are snuffed by filthy swirls as we're reminded "You're born into this world of shit, and then you die."

Confession is only a tad more uptempo, courtesy of drum flurries until swayed-timber pacing returns. Violence is dealt with undeniable, unstoppable clout as temperatures steadily rise throughout the track. Sticky repetition brings the burn to a numbness, reigns continuously loosen only to re-tighten. When the elements break for a sparse riff reprieve, we're foolish to think we won't soon be crippled under a caked slab of beefy guitars. Chops quicken, the trot grows frantic, and our heads are swiveled.

Sourvein, on the other hand, craft a doom-and-shroom triptych of groove-laden sludge that's as thick and tasty as anything they've done. Drifter plods through murk and T.Roy may have cut back on chewing shattered glass, his pipes echoing into a nod of doom's history. The track steadily drives deeper amid a thicket of threaded psychedelia, and a guitar solo uncoils to punch the track's mossy tapestry into oblivion.

The warbled, weird Equinox agonizes with droning sustain, hovering until reverb shakes its skin with an intermissionary vibe. It's so fucking cool, and Follow The Light is the perfect *ahem* follow-up. Pendulums swing with morose realization, begging the questions "What light?" This closer is thick, yet bitten with swaying groove that lifts briefly. The track's midpoint is drenched in distortion, loaded on chewy riffs too big to swallow. Guitar licks try to spoil the buzz, but what they really accomplish is expanding the mindfuck. Meat cleaver drums drive us home as Mike Dean begins accruing accolades for his production.

These bands are to one another both kin and complement, as the sounds thumb a parallel helix yet manage to separate themselves from one another just enough. But that's hardly the success here. Each song on either side serves as its own showcase of a band intent on keeping too many false smiles from polluting our planet. This split simply crushes from either side of the wax. It's a tad bright outside for my squints to adjust, so I'm gonna sit here in my basement, blast this staggering marriage of dissonance and harmony, and wait for the fuzz to pound my front door.

For fans of: Buzzov*en, EYEHATEGOD, Electric Wizard
Pair with: Kentucky Breakfast Stout, Founders Brewing Co.

Reach back for a taste until your copy arrives in the mail...

Pre-order | Graves At Sea | Facebook

Sunday Sludge: StoneBirds / Stangala - "Kreiz-Breizh Sessions"

I couldn't be this alliterative if I tried. Seth's Sunday Sludge featuring a StoneBirds / Stangala split? Cosmic elements are aligning and perhaps this is the universe slapping me with the most insanely unique and enjoyable split presentation I'll ever hear. There's nothing standard or pedestrian about what we're showcasing today. One act a choppy, churning stoner-sludge trio from Lorient, the other an eerie haunt of bagpiped doom by way of Quimper, this formidable French tandem leaves nothing to be desired on The Infamous Kreiz-Breizh Sessions, Vol. 1. Take it all in.

StoneBirds swing first, knocking crunch-groove tastiness square into your chest with Red Is The Sky. A bluesy southern roll, hazy stoner-fuzz passages, gravelly vocals... Are we traipsing through Western France or scorching our skin on Oklahoma's dusty panhandle roads? No matter. Thick in tone with battered, battling dual vocals, this opening track is punchy and promising. StoneBirds strip off their moss-coated skin and earn their moment in the mist. As we lead into Game Over, we drift toward our teenage basement nods. Dense and dank, this supremely sticky, smoky sludge (and its tinny tinsel mood) pulls more than a few surprises from its beard. Gargle mud, cough, and slap on a heady half-smile... coming your way is a heavy hand of warbled licks and tense bong rips.

But if StoneBirds set the standard, Stangala do a bang-up job of following suit. Earlier this year, Reg warned you'll need to "hear for yourself to discover all of the nuances." No shit! On Kemper, groove-molded celtic-stoner-doom (what?) steamrolls your expectations. Chanted vocals and an elemental tapestry of fuzz is somehow enhanced with window-shopping keys and pipes. I found myself lifted to a rainy cobblestone tip-toe through Scottish highlands rather than lacing my coffee with bourbon in my dusty den. Conversely, the uptempo stoner-thrash havoc that is Konk Kerne recoils on sweet piss-puddle drums and Byzantine howls. They quickly melt into a returning grindcore violence, bizarre and cool all at once. Its unsettling, sure. But the sneering stoner guitar is again clouded by pipes, a long breakdown that'll linger in your ears and your mind.

Not that StoneBirds can't do some haunting. A cavernous wail drapes the murky Outro Drama spookfest. The vocal is chained and well-past offended. Swirling and growling at primitive pacing, this is an absolute lumber of slow-motion psychedelia that'll plow through mountains. The tense, paranoid Red Lights can't help but be stuffed into the stagnant-stoner-swamp-sludge category. Echoed and epic, pensive and cautionary... this tale cools with buzz and clouded warnings, perhaps against the loose bass and powered reverb of Dark Passenger. Moving from semi-thick to über-viscous in the span of seconds, this bouncing sludge is contemplative and high-strung. Bury yourself with the burn, even the chippy relent is wholly staggering.

StoneBirds' 2011 full-length Slow Fly

Perhaps there was no fistfight over top-billing, simply because Stangala know how to close out an album. Christ, the triptych of Ar Stang / Evel ar re yen / St Alar el les algues hallucinogènes is an impressively diverse yet cohesive exercise in balancing departures with throwbacks. The fuzz metal absorbing directly into your skull on Ar Stang is more uptempo than you'd expect from French doom. Dense, tight, and loaded with plucks and plods, this cruiser is true to roots. The desert-rolled Kyuss influence is maximized by the massive drums on Evel, cloaked to counter the sandy slaps. As riffage buzzes and burns, screams command your ear. Laser keys, bulging rhythms, samples, sagging-tit pipes... All the elements seemingly pit this track at war with itself as it deconstructs into a spiral of spook. And finally, ominous at its closing and ear-rung at its heart is the flattening St Alar. The rumble of stoner-doom cadence and distant pinches of solid, steady bass thumbs keep this fuzz-pipe blast smoothly executed and softer than your grandma's panties. But more than the subtle sniffs, you'll love the long, heady passages punctuated by spurts of psychedelic doom.

Stangala's 2011 release Boued Tousek Hag Traou Mat All

Sludge led us here. These Sunday morning jaunts casually open with murk and mire, but rarely are they led toward such an eclectic meld of... Uh, I don't even know what to call this split. These Kreiz-Breizh sessions must've been fun to record; shit, they were fun to hear. You came for the boggy thickness. You stuck around for the stoner sensibilities. Perhaps you dipped your wick in embalming fluid before sparking up some doobage. Either way, you've been led down one trippy hill only to climb right up another. Whether these bands splinter their subsequent releases or return for Vol. 2, we'll be waiting.

Split Bandcamp | StoneBirds Facebook | Stangala Facebook | StoneBirds Bandcamp | Stangala Bandcamp | Asso-No| Stangala Soundcloud

In Case You Missed It: Cough/Windhand - Reflection of the Negative

It wasn't all that difficult for me to discover that I'd missed this split from two of Richmond's heaviest exports, because the stench from this kind of filth just grows stronger with age.  Apparently this mold covered masterpiece has been festering and fermenting since its release back in April, so now seems like the perfect time for me to feed it to you good people.  Featuring a single, sickly saga from Cough that clocks in at over eighteen minutes and two equally depressing dirges from Windhand that, when combined, span the same, Reflection of the Negative contains enough disheartening doom to keep you looking nervously over your shoulder for the foreseeable future.   

Let's start with Cough's offering, which is an epic monstrosity called "Athame," appropriately named for the ceremonial dagger used in rituals and witchcraft…in case you were wondering.  Joey Arcaro's colossal drums open this calamity, setting the tempo of a snail's march, before the unmistakably chilling sounds of an organ's grind creep into the mix.  Guitarists David Cisco and Brandon Marcey enter the fray with suffocatingly heavy riffs, as does bassist Parker Chandler (the common link between these two bands) whose ghastly gurgle completes this wretched refrain.  Collectively, Cough lulls you into a coma for the first half of the song's run time and then violently shifts gears by altering the rhythm, adding ample amounts of feedback and distortion that become more ominous as Chandler chants, "the time has come for sacrifice."  The apex of this heinous hymn is reached at around thirteen minutes (appropriately), when the band lurches into a bonafide groove laced with enough wickedness to leave Electric Wizard cowering over in the corner.  You're gonna want to check this one out.   

While just as foreboding, Windhand's contributions to Reflection of the Negative are less gradual, which is simply to say, they get right to the point.  Other than a brief introduction of feedback and reverb from Asechiah Bogdan and Garrett Morris, "Amaranth" boils over immediately when the guitarists' down-tuned riffs combine with the rhythm section of drummer Ryan Wolfe and of course, bassist Parker Chandler, to create a gloriously demented rumble that could easily wake the dead.  Dorthia Cottrell's ethereal vocals emerge as if through a haze created by the band's dense and heavy sound and the resulting amalgam is astounding.  "Shepherd's Crook" is the second track from Windhand, and its both longer, at nearly eleven minutes, and more unsettling than it's predecessor.  Opening with a buzzsaw guitar that drills its way into your conscience, the band eventually settles into an unsettling drone that'll leave you trance-like, until a guitar solo takes shape in the foggy chaos and you latch onto it like a lifeline.  Cottrell's muffled moans reach at you as if from the grave and before you know it, Windhand have you thinking bad, bad thoughts.  This is the sound of doom my friends…dirty, filthy doom.  You should do your best not to miss this one.

(((Cough Facebook|Windhand Facebook|Bandcamp)))

In Case You Missed It: Across Tundras/Lark's Tongue - Split LP

A couple of weeks ago in his Double Dose, Zac reviewed Electric Relics, the latest slab of Americana inspired doom from Nashville's Across Tundras.  And given that I was a huge fan of the band's 2011 effort Sage, I jumped at the opportunity to hear what he so eloquently described as "the soundtrack for the traveling lonely en route to desolation."  So you can imagine my surprise when I opened the band's website in search of said album and discovered yet another new record, itself barely three months old.  Turns out…back in March, Across Tundras teamed up with a heavy psyche band out of Peoria, Illinois called Lark's Tongue and released one hell of a split LP.  Of course, as the theme of this feature suggests…we quite obviously missed it, and now I'm here to remedy that unfortunate oversight.

Featuring two tracks from each band and a run time of over half an hour, this is more than your typical split 7 inch.  Beginning with the Across Tundras contributions, the album opens with a lush expanse of droning guitar that eventually gives way to a twangy lumber and Tanner Olson's whisky soaked warble…"in the ruins of the house of the rising sun."  This is the epic "Low Haunts," which by itself, easily makes up a third of the LP as it rumbles in and out of gorgeous guitar flourishes and never once forsakes the ponderous plod of its rhythm or the resonance of its honky tonk textures.  This you gotta hear.  "Crux to Bear" is the second offering from Across Tundras and it provides a glimpse into the band's heavier side.  While still managing multiple shifts in tempo, the track is a much more straight forward affair that even sneaks a catchy hook into the mix as Olson sings…"if the stars ever align, I'm as good as gone."  

As I mentioned, side two of this split LP is dedicated to Lark's Tongue, with whom I was not familiar prior to hearing these songs.  On "Follow Your Nightmares," the band introduces themselves with jangly guitars that merge with ethereal effects and a resounding rhythm section, creating a depth of sound that continues to expand as far as your mind will allow.  The atmospheric stamp of post-metal is evident, so it should come as no surprise that Lark's Tongue features a couple of the guys from avant-doomsters Minsk.  And if the dichotomy between the beautifully harmonized vocals and the demented doom found on "Aluminum" is any indication, then this is most certainly a band that Heavy Planet will be keeping a very close eye on in the future. 

So how about that?  Zac writes about one killer album…I go in search of it and discover not only another killer album, but a new killer band to boot?  Now that's what I call a double fucking dose.  So on behalf of my colleague, I'd like to say to heavy music fans everywhere…you're welcome.  Enjoy.
  

Across Tundras Facebook|Lark's Tongue Facebook|Across Tundras Website|Big Cartel|Bandcamp

Sunday Sludge: Otzepenevshiye/Vir' - "For A Knife"

Countless conversations end with the promise of getting together, collaborating, creating. Too often these promises never reach delivery and the conversation drifts to the back of the mind alongside trivia and repressed memories. So many bands play on so many bills, it's easy to see how these discussions unfold and ultimately lose their steam. When two bands finally make the time to tolerate one another, the results can be one-sided, watered-down, or entirely disappointing.

Moving beyond the tradition of splits and guest appearances, Saint Petersburg's Otzepenevshiye and Vir' shared the stage in Kazan' and drafted a plan to together craft an entire album. The end result is one that smashes pigeonholes and shreds labels, a clinic of sound manipulation and redistribution. At times a shoegazing drone-metal stack of layered guitars, others a crushing amalgam of sludge despair, the seven-track For a Knife rolls downhill and flattens expectations in a slow-motion daydream.

Opening on 1000 Doors, a cold pocket of immobilized breaths grows into a churning drone. But when the sounds emerge from every corner, filtering through a corridor of tin and wood, the guitar splinters advise against prematurely formulating opinions. Sergey Milushkin (Vir') claws at your feet as you pass, countering the awesomely ambient structures. Unfolding into a static whir of broken mist, the track breaks and blends crust with unsteady, glazed warbles. If the bands' intentions were to pull apart your senses, they've already succeeded admirably.

The storm of choppy sludge rhythms on The Black is the disc's mock of your discomfort. Guitar sustain remains, wraps you in moss, and searches the premises with one eye closed. The dicey balances the droney when banshees circle and cackle. The re-emergence of the tortured/torturous vocal after a three-track hiatus is welcome and jarring. The track invites you to join, basking in the discontent of a death rattle until the abrupt closing.

Long, sustained instrumental passages alone won't pique the interest of seasoned drone- or post-metal connoisseurs, and failure to let a tone fully respire will prove costly. Four of For A Knife's tracks present no vocals whatsoever, relying heavily on steady pacing and slow decay. Kotlovan's industrial churn offers a veil of productivity, masking the insidious drone elements. Sonne de Toten stutters and stumbles on technological breakdowns, panning samples with awesome atmospheres. Slicing guitar tapestries evolve via expanding fuzz, growing thicker as your shirt snags on hidden thorns. And when the field of rotting futures demands a glimpse of strange beauty shuffling through this ugliness, we transition into -273°C. The bird's eye perspective provides both relent and clarity, but the haunting soundscape is as post-impressionist as it is post-metal. The whole of the triptych is just one of the album's aching highlights.

Pull the pin on Ce Qui ne Trompe pas and what unfolds is an avalanche of screams and raining ashes. The dual-note piano drone is endless and somber, and it's the perfect lead-in to the closing title track. For A Knife is more primitive than what's led to it, but there are glimmers of life and rebirth contained herein. Sludge and drone again poke through the cleansing as if to say "don't forget us," but the trickle juxtaposes tracks one through six. Rhythmic plod burns, guitar embers crackle, and the ultimate pain of Milushkin's bark, absent far too long, are all washed away in the final gasp of one incredible album.

That two bands can accommodate one another, let alone so well complement one another, is an exercise in mastery. Forget that divergent methods and habits actually sound this amazing together and view the album on its own merits. This was simply a group of musicians sharing and focusing and brilliantly realizing ideas in the form of seven long, beautiful cruisers. Greater than the sum of its parts? Who cares. Call it what you want, but this sound is undeniably captivating.

Bandcamp | Zhelezobeton | Otzepenevshiye Soundcloud | Vir' Site

Zac's "Double Dose": Dopelord / XII Boar

Dopelord: Magick Rites 

Careening into Heavy Planet like a Texas-sized meteor are Dopelord and their latest release Magick Rites. This Lublin, Poland based band embodies the very cosmic soul that is stoner and doom metal. You see, the crew here at Heavy Planet, we go through a lot of bands, week in and week out. We try to cover as much 'under'ground musicians as possible and now and again we're blinded by a brilliant star in the sky. Dopelord define the work Heavy Planet does. The equation is easy take a couple guitars, down tune them, add a whole lot of bass, tremendous percussion, some inspiration from the dark arts, and last but certainly not least magical herbs. Check out my personal favorite track Rise! Undying! at bandcamp or order a copy from Can't Tell You Records HERE!

 

Members: 

Arek - Drums 

Klusek - Bass 

Miodek - Guitar // Vocals 

Mroku - Guitar

I bandcamp I facebook I youtube I 

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XII Boar: Split Toungue, Cloven Hoof 

As you can expect every Wednesday, a second 'Dose' that is sure to scratch that itch that doctor's Rx was supposed to cure. XII (pronounced twelve) Boar graced the pages of Heavy Planet as a NBTBOT and are back with their 2012 release Split Toungue, Cloven Hoof. The trio have proven themselves as true handy-men, taking on all of the work 'in house'. Split Toungue, Cloven Hoof's, much like their previous record XII, production is crystal clear and full of that gritty rock'n'roll attitude that every metal band needs. The vocals are gruff, full of southern appeal and well whiskey [of course], the drum fills are mathematically placed, and all is puppeteered by this boar's almighty RIFF! But honestly, how are you going to ignore a song's with names like Slamhound and Hellspeed Viper? You can't. Jam to my favorite track Triclops below, and be sure to turn the volume to eleven.

 

Members: 

Adam "Bad-Dog" Williams - Bass // Backing Vocals 

Dave Wilbraham - Drums 

Tommy Hardrocks - Guitar // Vocals

I bandcamp I facebook I soundcloud I web I

New Band To Burn One to (Morning Buzz): Breakfast of Champions

The Morning Buzz edition of "New Band To Burn One To" today features Breakfast of Champions.

Bio:

Breakfast of Champions are a 3 piece alternative heavy drone hardcore experimental rock band formed in 2004 in Tokyo. The band has had numerous line-up changes before settling on the current line-up of guitarist/vocalist Hideaki Kondou, bassist Yuichi Sato and drummer Ryutaro Ishibashi. Initially. the bands took influence from 90's grunge rock bands such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Mudhoney and Tad. Focusing on a instrumental sound, bands such as Captain Beefheart and The Red Krayola and prog rock bands also helped shape the bands earlier sound. BoC later started to develop a heavier sound influenced by the Melvins, early Soundgarden, Boris, Earth, Sunn amps (and smashed guitars.) In 2008 the band released their first album "We usually just bow, play, bow, leave" in Japan on the independent labal Tetrahedron. BoC subsequently did a release tour of Japan, playing venues such as the Shelter and Nest in Tokyo and Upset in Nagoya. The band are currently writing new material for their next album and looking to broaden their sound by taking influence from 70s hard rock and prog rock bands.

Grab your Wheaties people, this Tokyo three-piece knows how to bring the heavy. Drawing influences primarily from the heavier grunge scene (Alice in Chains, Soundgarden) and combining it with droney elements and a bit of prog the band takes on a sound eerily similiar to the aforementioned. Songs such as "Master Blaster" and "Say Hello to My Little Friend" are prime examples of this. The band has just released a split CD with Quiet Lakes (today's Evening Buzz) which can be purchased through their Bandcamp page.

Download demo tracks and b-sides for FREE at this location.
MySpace|Facebook

Free Downloads From Exhilarate Records

Tom from Exhilarate Records sent along a few new releases for you guys to download for free. Check them out!

Band name(s): 'Various Artists'

Album: 'Beware the Gelatinous Gloop Compilation'
Genre: Doom/Drone/Sludge/Stoner/Noise/Black/Death/Progressive/Industrial

Track Listing:


Part 1 - Tracks 1-11

01. Ophis 'The Halls of Sorrow'
02. Hiram 'Peering Over the Shoulder of Admiral Piri-Reis'
03. The Machete Massacre 'Kingdom of Sin'
04. Bitterdusk 'Amanecer De La Galaxi'
05. Fall of Empyrean 'In the Shadows of the Sun'
06. Funeral Hag 'Nellie Longarms'
07. Zatokrev 'Story of a Thousand'
08. Enos 'Back to Earth'
09. Grief's Exquisite Veil 'Sleep's Caress'
10. Hopkins 'Permutations'
11. Dopefight 'Nob.Nod.Noi'

Part 2 - Tracks 12-22

12. Sombre Nocturne 'Shattered Fields'
13. Tovarish 'Laika'
14. Blame Keiko 'Everything & Nothing'
15. The Way of Purity 'Sinner'
16. Circus of Damnation 'In Speciem Cadaveris'
17. Plaguewitch 'Aarka'
18. John Halifax 'Robust'
19. Merciless Precision 'Suffer (live at the Zeneth)'
20. Normalman 'Flamingo Land'
21. Drug Honkey 'The Others'
22. Brown & Benbow 'Dog Waste'

Download links:

Tracks 1-11: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?44zy2scgrwmay91

Tracks 12-22: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?cu8oy9enpe246v2
 
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Band Name(s): Blame Keiko/Purple Magic

Album: Blame Keiko/Purple Magic split
Genre: Doom/Sludge/Stoner/Psychedelic/Ambient/Progressive

Track Listing:

01. Blame Keiko - Everything & Nothing
02. Blame Keiko - Seas of Giants
03. Purple Magic - Lichen
04. Purple Magic - Protozoique
05. Purple Magic - Surprise Surprise

Download link: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?ncn5b7n914l3trz

Purchase link:
http://www.shopcreator.com/mall/productpage.cfm/ExhilarateRecords/_BLAMEK002/351134/Blame%20Keiko%2FPurple%20Magic%20Split%20Cassette
 
Bio:

Blame Keiko started out as a one man project at the beginning of 2010 before progressing into a Two-Piece Stoner/Sludge/Doom inspired Noise Rock band. By August 2010 Blame Keiko once more became a one man project. The sound originated from the lovely county of Shakespeare in the United Kingdom and is a fuse of avant-garde, windy progressive rock, ambience and down-tempo doom/sludge/drone influenced vibes, featuring Guitarist & Gizmo artist - Thomas Garner and also saw Drummer & Broken Mic Vocalist - Thomas Brill in the past. Blame Keiko is a heart straining spiral of noise, noise rock, punk ethos, dirge and art.

Exhilarate Records|Blame Keiko|Purple Magic

New Band To Burn One To-Maltross

The "New Band To Burn One To" today is Maltross.

"Maltross is an instrumental stoner metal trio from Peoria, IL. Mixing elements of ambiance as well as a strong punk influence, Maltross creates an atmosphere of crushing sound that emulates the groove of the early 1970’s. Following a strict DIY ethic, Maltross has self-released a demo on cd-r and an ep on cassette. Their most recent release is a split with Quad City, Illinois destroyers, Lord Green. Released on January 1st, 2010 by Rusty Axe Records. The split is limited to 100 green tapes and 300 white tapes. Maltross is currently working on a full length cd, to be released on Rusty Axe in July of 2010."

Review:

"The split begins with Lord Green pulverizing your very being with three morsels of their unique brand of Stoner Punk. The riffs are tasty and the punk is raunchy. The split continues with Maltross punching you in the face with a few grimey 70's influenced sludgy stoner rock gems.


Track Listing:


1. Higher Than God (Lord Green)
2. Dropping Out (Lord Green)
3. Hook, Line, and Sinker (Lord Green)
4. Sectumsempra (Maltross)
5. Summon the Elders (Maltross)

Bandcamp
MySpace

Long Distance Calling Releases Split EP with Leech

From Long Distance Calling:

Hey friends, the brand new split EP 090208 with our friend Leech has just hit the stores and is available from now on in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Other countries will follow later this year, stay tuned for updates.

Furthermore we have added some new shows, here we go:


090208 tour presented by Visions, Guitar & Eclipsed
17.10: Eisenach, Germany - Sound&Culture, with Leech
18.10: Wien, Austria - Arena, with Leech
19.10: Karlsruhe, Germany - Jubez, with Leech
23.10: Luzern, Switzerland - Sedel, with Leech
24.10: Aarau, Switzerland - Kiff, with Leech
26.10: Biel, Siwtzerland - St. Gervais, with Leech
05.12: Bielefeld, Germany - Visions Party at Forum

We are looking forward to hit the studio again in a couple of weeks to record the new album, stay tuned for more updates and details on this soon.

Thanx for listening,
LDC

www.myspace.com/longdistancecalling

Baby Woodrose Split 7""Here Today Gone Tomorrow" Missing

From Bad Afro Records:

The new Baby Woodrose/Dollhouse split 7" was supposed to be released today, March 31... but it wont. The freight company doesn`t know what happened to the shipment of the singles - they simply disappeared. Out in thin air. Just like that. A new pressing is in the making and new release date is now April 14. Sorry about the inconvenience.

The Baby Woodrose contribution to the split 7", "Here Today Gone Tomorrow" (wrong choice of songtitle it seems), can still be heard on the Bad Afro MySpace page and is available for download on Klicktrack.com exclusively effective Monday, March 31.

BLACK SEPTEMBER, THOU To Team Up For Split 7" Single

Chicago's death/black metal group BLACK SEPTEMBER and Baton Rouge's sludge/doom group THOU will team up for a split seven-inch release, tentatively due in March. The effort will include one previously unreleased song from each band — "Under the Rising" by BLACK SEPTEMBER and "Smoke Pigs" by THOU.

BLACK SEPTEMBER recorded its contribution with Sanford Parker (MINSK, BURIED AT SEA) at Volume Studios (RWAKE, PELICAN, YAKUZA).

Black September MySpace

Thou MySpace