9 posts tagged “sludge”
Soup
wrote this:
Here's one I wasn't expecting! The new Outlaw Order album, Dragging Down the Enforcer, came out yesterday, but I just got it in the mail from Season of Mist today. Outlaw Order (abbreviated 00%) is a side project in the loosest sense of the word. Eyehategod guitarist, Jimmy Bower was busy playing drums in Down, and the rest of the band, all being on probation (in fact, since their first 7”, Legalize Crime, their original bassist went to prison), decided to play up the “outlaw” theme with this band. This time, bassist, Marc Schultz has been replaced (for obvious reasons), and really, they don't sound any worse for it because Justin Grisoli (also the only guy in the band who's never been in Eyehategod) does a damn fine job filling his shoes.
After a “declaration of a state of war,” the band is out the gates like a raging drunken bull. “Relive the Crime” is a really awesome track with some good sludge going on. Stoned, off-time playing, with drunken, almost punk rock vocals. I guess I'm stating the obvious when I say it sounds a hell of a lot like Eyehategod. A stoned drum-based dirge opens “Safety Off.” Slowly, the bass starts coming in, followed by buzzsaw guitars. They speed up into Sabbathy riffing with some angry drunken vocals. “Double Barrel Solves Everything” sounds like a hardcore song (in fact, I keep thinking it sounds sort of like a Minor Threat song, ironically, but I can't put my finger on which one). Pissed off vocals, economical, brutal guitar playing and drumming, and a nice sludgy bass assault make this track for me. “Alcohol Tobacco Firearms” starts out sounding a little like Sleep, and then throws that out to go into full-on old-school hardcore territory with the most speed displayed so far on the album. They stay fast and heavy for “Mercy Shot,” which has a nice crusty edge to it that reminds me a little bit of Asbestosdeath or Nausea. “Narco-Terrorists” has some really Sabbathy lead guitar going on. “Siege Mentality” goes even farther into that territory. More of the track is instrumental than not. Crushingly heavy, too! “Walking Papers” has a really cool ascending and descending lead guitar. You can smell the whiskey coming off of it. The last real song, the title track, has this cool juxtaposition of slow vocals and fast instrumentals. The drumming in particular is brutal as all hell.
This is a really solid album. I'd recommend it for fans of Down, Superjoint Ritual, Eyehategod, Asbestosdeath, Sleep, Electric Wizard... basically anyone who takes their metal slow and heavy. These guys only have one upcoming show scheduled. They're playing the Howlin' Wolf's “Raise the Dead” Festival in New Orleans. Maybe they can't leave town due to their probation? I don't know, but if you're in the area, check it out! Since their official website appears to be no longer owned by the band, more info can be found at their MySpace page.
)Birds, what is up with that? It seems lately that we're getting album artwork that features birds on the cover artwork (especially owls). Can someone explain this to me? Seriously.
Below are a ton of bird-album artwork.
|
AVIARY GHOST
aviaryghost.com ♥ myspace.com
Fom Illinois is Aviary Ghost, a band that seems to be headed by Charlie Crimando and Stephen Kemsley. Reading their biography, it would seem that they spent a lot of time recording music in a one-room apartment in Michigan. One of my favorite song on their album, Memory Is A Hallway (featuring cut-out birds over a scenic location), is the most fast-moving song is "Windowlight", which seems to be about the light through the window - sung in an old-fashion cabaret-style song, which I will say works very well for the song. I thought "Somewhere Else" was also pretty good. The song is described as "catchy Swedish pop", which I'll have to agree with. The lyrics are pretty detailed too, I especially liked the chorus: "we're laughing, 'cause laughing is much better than a scream". You can get their album, Memory Is A Hallway (recently released July 15th), on iTunes or CD Baby.
|
MORE TEETH
more-teeth.com ♥ myspace.com
I think someone in the W♥M group have this album, One Bird a Day, for review, so I won't go into too much details about it. Surfice to say that it's a compilation of three or four bands in the electro-genre. Based on what I've heard, I really dig Sparkydog (sounds like new wave) and More Teeth (which sounds like very experimental noise art). I've decided to go with More Teeth because of their snazzy drums and electroclashesque vocals of Mindy Abovitz. JESSICA LEA MAYFIELDjessicaleamayfield.com ♥ myspace.com
We're not really promoting Jessica Lea Mayfield (I don't think her PR company knows my address, which I will confess is fine as I have too much music to handle), but I couldn't resist the owl-art on her soon-to-be release album With Blasphemy, So Heartfelt out on September 16th on Polymer Sounds on her press release. What's there to say based on this one song, "Kiss Me Again"? She has a very nice voice, and sounds like Thao Nguyen. |
|
PUTOIS
citizensofcontraryknowledge.com ♥ myspace.com
Yet another Chicago, Illinois band - man, they really love their animals! I believe "putois" is actually a ferret or something. Anyway, on their second album, Problem Is Not a Problem Anymore, we see a crane with some ducks (while their debut album, The Thinking Fireplace features a cartoon bird dressed as a gentleman). It would seem that these introspective songs are written and sung by its creator, one Bob Mason since 1995. Most of this album is acoustic, mostly folky and the song "No More Dancing" would best represent what currently Putois sounds like. There are a few highlights on the record. For instance, I liked what he was trying to do with "Cta". This had a weird bass and quirky noises and beeps. Even his singing style is different here (although I think this might be a guest-vocalist? It just sounds very different). The other song that isn't so acoustic is "The Lonely Traveler" with its arrangement of piano and harmonica. If you like bands like Minnesota's Low, Putois might be right up your alley. Problem Is Not a Problem Anymore is out now, you can get it from CD Baby. |
PLUSHGUN
plushgun.com ♥ myspace.com
I love Tommy Boy Records. One of my first CD was a Tommy Boy and I just remember how big they were in the early 90s, especially with the b-boys and girls. Well, I guess the record label is still around and I have one of their latest release by one-man-band, Plushgun. Daniel Ingala's vocals sounds like he has a British accent, reminiscent of early 80s new wave pop bands. His latest self-titled EP has a cute drawing of a bird with an old SNES controller in a cassette-tape-style mess in the sky. All the songs were available for download on August 19th (iTunes). The four songs on the EP is a very easy listen. I love all the songs actually, with the exception of the semi-sappy "14 Candles". Although it was nice to hear a woman singing backup on this song, but I didn't think this song belong on the EP. Maybe I just don't like love songs. His other songs are more upbeat and sounds more like obsessive/stalker feel to them. There are some great lyrics on "Just Impolite" ("I walk the line, like Johnny Cash" and "I'm not upset, just impolite"). A physical copy of Plushgun will be available on September 9th via Amazon and other retailers for $9.99, but if you can't wait the download is sold now for 60% cheaper ($3.98) |
|
BRICE WOODALL AND THE POSITRONS
bricewoodall.com ♥ myspace.com
Check out Brice Woodall and the Positrons with their album, Sine Wave Sea. The artwork on the cover is a flying bird block with a hole in its stomach. I know it's a bird because if you visit the artist's website (trevorbittinger.com), his all-flash website features these same block birds flying around. Brice Woodall is currently based out of Chicago, Illinois, according to his myspace. Woodall's vocals has a woman quality to them, but not in a falsetto way (and not as a put down). His voice is very interesting, it definitely pulls you in. I think my favorite songs off this album is easily "This, There, Where", a pop song with some interesting mix. I also dug the experiment on "Winter/Break/Down/Away". Well, it looks like they are currently on tour, be sure to check them out.
09/12/08 Double Door- Kittypalooza Chicago, IL 09/24/08 Rapture Charlottesville, Virginia 09/25/08 Lucky Buddha Richmond, Virginia 09/26/08 Trash Bar Brooklyn, New York 09/27/08 Murky (upstairs) Arlington/DC area, VA 11/08/08 Art*Bar Riverwest Milwaukee, Wisconsin 11/19/08 Madison, Wisconsin 11/20/08 Chicago, Illinois 11/21/08 Detroit, Michigan 11/22/08 Indianapolis, Indiana You can pick up Sine Wave Sea from InSound. |
CITIZENS OF CONTRARY KNOWLEDGE
citizensofcontraryknowledge.com ♥ myspace.com
Featuring a drawing of a chicken on the cover of Citizens of Contrary Knowledge's You're What You Wish You Are. Upon closer inspection, is that a cock? They do sound a bit southern cock rock... Reading their biography, it would seem most of the band members are residing in Harlem, New York. Their singer/frontsman, Chris Barczynski, sounds like he doesn't take his biography too seriously (he writes that he was in the Witness Protection Program, etc). This is also a problem when he lists that he's appeared on stage with Green Day, Sugar Ray and Hootie - should you believe him? I'm leaning to 'no'. I was drawn to the faster/rock song and my favorite is "Complicated" and "Lonely Hearts Society", which is driven by a muscular guitar playing (with some neat tricks). Despite as I have said about their music being rock, they do lean to the sensitive/slow side with "House of Cards", "Unless You Do", "Real Love", and "Wrong Side of the World". I think listening to them that they might fare better as a live act, perhaps jamming their songs at a longer length at a dive bar. You're What You Wish You Are is out now, available on CD Baby. They just finished playing Arlene's Grocery, which is apparently a bar? |
Here is the bonus segment, some bird-bands we've previously covered: Tinkture, Birdflu, Story of the Year, The Alarmists, The Notwist, Loquat, El Perro Del Mar, Ben Sollee, Peter Bradley Adams (Owl), Death Valley Sleepers, Death Cab For Cutie, Patrick Wolf, Deadbird, Jeff Hanson (Owl), They Might be Giants (Owl), Eels, Biography Of Ferns, Computer Vs. Banjo (Owl), Ash, Susan Krebs
Bands we haven't covered, but I'm sure we'll get around to them. These features birds on the cover: The Great Northwest (Experimental Folk), Nebraska (Folk), Foals (British Rock), The Black Keys (Southern Rock), KYTE (Ambient Pop), and the talented Graeme K (Experimental/Old-time/Dance). Honorable worth mention is Abigail Washburn with her tiny birds on the cover.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
26 Jul 2008 DAYTON DIRT COLLECTIVE DAYTON, Ohio
01 Aug 2008 Ravari Room Columbus, Ohio 02 Aug 2008 Zanies Too Indianapolis, Indiana 03 Aug 2008 Howler’s Coyote Cafe Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 04 Aug 2008 Xtreme Wheels Buffalo, New York 05 Aug 2008 The Downtown Quarterback Endicott, New York 06 Aug 2008 The Middle East Cambridge, Massachusetts 07 Aug 2008 The Living Room Providence, Rhode Island 08 Aug 2008 Knitting Factory Tap Bar New York, New York 09 Aug 2008 Broad Street Minstries Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 10 Aug 2008 DC9 Washington, DC, Washington DC 11 Aug 2008 Nara Sushi Richmond, Virginia 12 Aug 2008 The Milestone Charlotte, North Carolina 13 Aug 2008 Drunken Unicorn Atlanta, Georgia 14 Aug 2008 The Haven Winter Park, orlando?, Florida 15 Aug 2008 Brass Mug Tampa, FL 16 Aug 2008 Atlantic Gainesville, FL 17 Aug 2008 High Ground Venue Metarie, Louisiana 18 Aug 2008 Hi Tone Cafe Memphis,TN 19 Aug 2008 OPO Downstairs @ The Urban Table Fayetteville, Arkansas 20 Aug 2008 Downtown Music Little Rock, Arkansas 21 Aug 2008 Club Dada Dallas, TX 22 Aug 2008 Red 7 Austin, Texas 23 Aug 2008 Conservatory Ok City 25 Aug 2008 Gator’s Farmington,NM 26 Aug 2008 Clubhouse Tempe, AZ 27 Aug 2008 Knitting Factory Hollywood, California 28 Aug 2008 Chaser’s (fka Scolari’s) San Diego, California 29 Aug 2008 Thee Parkside San Francisco, California 30 Aug 2008 Rotture Portland, Oregon 31 Aug 2008 Riversdale Grange Roseburg, Oregon 01 Sep 2008 Studio Seven Seattle, Washington 03 Sep 2008 Marquis Theater Denver, Colorado 04 Sep 2008 Replay Lounge Lawrence, Kansas 05 Sep 2008 2 Cents Plain St Louis, Missouri 06 Sep 2008 Vaudeville Mews Des Moines, Iowa 07 Sep 2008 Reggie’s Rock Club Chicago, Illinois |
One of my best friends has been telling me to check out Dayton, Ohio's Mouth of the Architect for about a year. He'd played some songs for me, and I'd dug them, and I don't really know why, but I never really got around to checking them out. And now, here I am, reviewing their new album, Quietly, and wishing I had.
Mouth of the Architect do the “post-metal” thing like few other bands. Rather than leaning heavily in one direction or the other, the more Explosions in the Sky style is mixed seamlessly with something more along the lines of Isis, creating something that's almost entirely their own.
Album opener “Quietly” opens... uh... quietly, with something that sounds like one of Mogwai's more contemplative moments with some added distortion and builds up over the course of ten minutes into a sludge epic. The returning original vocalist, Alex Vernon gives a really awesome, powerful performance here, and every time you think the track couldn't possibly get any heavier, it does, and yet, it never sacrifices the post-rock and psychedelic undertones that differentiate them from every other heavy band out there.
Most of the tracks on the album follow this general template of layers of noise stacked on top of each other, with some lengthy psych-sludge jam parts, but thankfully, it never feels like a template. The first part of “Guilt and the Like” is defined by cool, delirious sounding guitar riffs that would probably sound really hackneyed in the hands of a less competent band, but sound awesome here. “Generation of Ghosts,” on the other hand, starts with a trem-picked guitar riff reminiscent of the classic Godspeed You! Black Emperor crescendo, stretched out into an oddly ambient lead-in to something that would sound like a classic metal intro if it weren't for the softly sung vocals underlying it. The crescendo has a keyboard riff that adds an uplifting feel to the skull-crushing riffs. The intro to “Rocking Chairs and Shotguns” is reminiscent of Tool's more contemplative moments, with more time to contemplate, and none of the polish, with a fading guitar noodle that sounds like maybe someone wrote it hanging out in their rocking chair with their shotgun. The track returns to the theme set forth on the intro numerous times throughout in subtle ways. The last track, “A Beautiful Corpse,” on the other hand, just busts down the door and goes straight for the jugular. This is about as sludgy as this band gets, and they don't let up until the ending's shouted vocals without any instrumental accompaniment.
Overall if you like post-metal, you'll
probably dig this album. I found myself wishing I'd checked this band
out earlier, and I'm glad I have now. The album is out today, and the
band is about to head out on a huge US tour. More information and tour dates (because there are way too many of them to post them here. Vu can, though, if he wants to apply some of that fancy formatting I have no idea how to do) can be found at the band's official MySpace page. They're hitting about three quarters of the lower 48, so most of our American readers can probably catch them in the next couple months!
-Soup
This is the kind of thing I like to get for review! Fayetteville, Arkansas's Deadbird have toured with Municipal Waste, and played with Kylesa, Torche, Harvey Milk, and Weedeater. And they've also put out a brutally heavy, epic, contemplative sludge masterpiece, Twilight Ritual, and it's out today for your purchasing and listening and cherishing to the end of time (and believe me: if you're into this sort of thing, you will). These guys share a bassist with Rwake and take a lot of influence from such bands as Eyehategod, His Hero Is Gone, and Asunder.
It busts out the doors with “Into the Clearing,” which takes its oddball twist early on with an acoustic passage. That doesn't take long to start speeding up into ultra-crusty territory made famous by such bands as Asbestosdeath (that's the hardcore band that evolved into Sleep, for those who don't know). This track strikes a nice balance between the two extremes.
“Death of the Self” sounds like the musical equivalent of an angry bear. The guitar work here is really cool, with huge, uncompromising, fast riffing that still manages to keep that stoned, heavy as hell sound, and the sung vocals sound really good, although the emphasis is kept on the sheer heaviness of this whole thing.
The opening guitar riff of “Rule Discordia” sounds like something Earth would do, to me. The awesome southern rock-tinged vocals and the aggressive drumming, however, do not. I really like how the guitars here have a hypnotic, droning effect, kind of along the lines of Earth on Pentastar, in that riff-based, but repetitive way that sticks in your head. Of course, the complexity of this is a few notches higher than that. The really punk rock section in the middle with the sort of bastardized thrash lead guitar is pure gold. The vocal harmonies near the end, and the acoustic outro pretty much bring this track into full-on awesome overload.
The beginning of “Feral Flame” reminds me either of an Operation Ivy song or a Leftover Crack song, and I'm not sure which. Maybe both. The vocal rhythm is all Leftover Crack, but I guess my point is that this song is all punk rock at the start, with a really, really crusty edge to it. Appropriately, it's also the shortest song here, clocking in at about five and a half minutes. It's almost two minutes shorter than the next shortest song. Of course, it doesn't take long to slow down into a murky sludge. The guitar solo has an awesome southern rock sound to it, that cuts right through everything.
“The Riverbed” couldn't start out farther away from where “Feral Flame” ended if it tried. The opening is acoustic with reverb-drenched vocals with a cool classic rock sound to them. The vocal harmonies kick in a couple minutes in and the song builds from there. Of course, this thing is eight minutes long, and the distortion kicks in after three, without disrupting the flow of the song as it was. The vocals get more and more hoarse and crusty, not losing the melody they started with, regardless, until about five minutes in, where that cool “angry bear” sound this singer has pretty much mastered comes back in full force, over bludgeoning riffs and heavy but melodic leads.
The title track, “Twilight Ritual” starts out with a slow, repeating chord progression that builds into a heavier version of itself with more “angry bear” vocals. I dig how the lead on this part sounds like it's melting the tubes on the amp, or like it's being played through a Russian Big Muff with an almost-dead battery. It's got this nice, scratchy quality. This track kinda trades off back and forth between soft parts and heavy parts, with most of the emphasis on the heavy. I couldn't think of any better way to end this album, than with some of the most majestic sludge a band can make. And that's exactly what you get here.
Anyway,
these dudes are on tour now. Here are the dates:
Jun 24 2008, WONDERLAND w/ Hail!Hornet & Lord By Fire, Richmond, Virginia
Jun 25 2008, REGGIES w/ Sourvein & Black Tusk, Wilmington, North Carolina
Jun 26 2008, DRUNKEN UNICORN w/ Zoroaster & Black Tusk, Atlanta, Georgia
Jun 27 2008, THE HAVEN w/ Black Tusk, Orlando, Florida
Jun 28 2008, TRANSITIONS SKATE w/ Black Tusk & Dark Castle, Tampa, Florida
Jun 29 2008, SLUGGO’S w/ Parabellum, Pensacola, Florida
Jun 30 2008, BANKS STREET BAR w/ Haarp and A Hanging, NOLA, Louisiana
Jul 1 2008, RUDYARDS, Houston, Texas
Jul 2 2008, ROCK BOTTOM TATTOO BAR w/ Religious Vomit, Pillcrusher & more, San Antonio, Texas
Jul 3 2008, RED 7 w/ Mala Suerte, Lions of Tsavo, Mammoth Grinder & Faithhealer, Austin, Texas
Jul 4 2008, BAR OF SOAP w/ Mala Suerte, Dallas, Texas
Jul 5 2008, DOWNTOWN METAL w/ Mala Suerte, Seahag, Parrabellum & tba?, Little Rock, Arkansas
And more info can be found at the band's MySpace page.
-Soup
Seattle's Jex Thoth (formerly Totem), play a solid girl-fronted psychedelic doom. This is one of those CD's that just kind of came out of nowhere and surprised me with how good it is.
The album opens with a short intro followed by a kind of weird downtuned guitar sound, with Jex Thoth (the name of both the singer and the band) channeling Sabbath-era Ozzy Osbourne in her own unique, and really cool way. Topped off by an atonal solo, I'd say this track (entitled “Nothing Left to Die”) kicks off the album in a pretty awesome way.
The second track, “The Banishment” is based around an organ played in a way that makes me wonder how many flaming pentagrams they had going in the studio. Kind of kitschy, but tasteful. Reminds me of some old horror movie. It ends with a sped-up section with a guitar solo in it.
The next track is “Obsidian Night,” which opens with a downtuned, sludgy intro and a guitar lead with some gnarly feedback on it. Jex's vocals are particularly good on this track. I don't know if the echo effect that comes in about halfway through is really necessary, but it doesn't detract so much as just distract, and actually, on second listen, sounds pretty cool.
“Seperated at Birth” is a more uptempo track. I really dig the guitar lead on this one. The vocals stand out here, once again. This one leads into another more uptempo track called “Son of Yule,” which starts out all about the sludge and surprises with a sudden turn into organ-based psych territory and then breaks down to prepare for re-entry into the same heavy-ass sludge it started with.
“Warrior Woman” is a little more downtempo, and unfortunately, is the victim of rather poor placement on the album. I kinda wish it wasn't positioned right before the album's centerpiece, “Equinox Suite,” which is made up of four parts. “The Poison Pit” has some awesome guitar tone, with a sort of “medieval” vibe, and some restrained vocals that serve as a fitting intro to the rest of it. Part two, the instrumental “Thawing Magus,” is more on the psych end of things, with a syncopated hand drum beat under a noodling guitar line. It builds into a sort of reverb-drenched “jammy” thing, that leads straight in to part three, another instrumental confusingly titled “Invocation Pt. 1,” which is even more on the psych end of things, with the organ's tone sort of reminiscent of Geogaddi-era Boards of Canada. This track's purpose is to build into part four, “The Damned and Divine,” which is not an instrumental! The vocals kick back in. It's a slower track with an emphasis on the loud/quiet dynamic and the strength of the vocals, trading sections with sparsely arranged hand drums and vocals with a classic Sabbath-based sludge.
They follow that up with “When the Raven Calls,” which isn't one of the album's strongest tracks, and is also kind of a victim of being placed right after one of the album's strongest tracks. Thankfully, it closes on a good'un. “Stone Evil” opens with a sparsely arranged guitar/hand drum/feedback intro that's drowned out by what sounds almost like a low-flying plane and classic doom vocals to top it all off.
This is a great album, and I'm really glad to have gotten it for review. This band doesn't appear to be touring or anything right now. But other than this album, they have a split out with Pagan Altar, and a self-titled 3-song mini-CD from when they were called Totem. I haven't heard either of their other releases, but if this one is anything to go by, I'd be willing to bet they're good.
More info can be found at the band's official MySpace page
-Soup
Ascend is, at its core, a collaborative effort between Sunn 0))), Engine Kid, and Goatsnake's Greg Anderson and Iceburn and Eagle Twin's Gentry Densley, and also featuring contributions on trombone, organ, and Wurlitzer from Sunn 0))) and Earth collaborator, Steve Moore (a.k.a. Stebmo), on lead guitar from Bubba Dupree of Void (one of the finest hardcore bands of the 80's) and Kim Thayil of Soundgarden.
And, of course, a lineup this great doesn't disappoint. The debut album, Ample Fire Within, is all about slow funeral dirges with rough-throated vocals, a strangely jazzy feel, and some of the finest, sludgiest doom you'll find outside of a Sunn 0))) album.
“The Obelisk of Kolob” starts out the album with a heavily distorted drone. Before long, feedback starts cutting through it, and the band kicks the heaviness up to 11, with Andy Patterson's drumming giving it a sort of Burning Witch feel to it, but with far more melodic guitars that sound like they'll blow your speakers if they get any heavier. As they build, Stebmo's trombone comes in and adds a whole new dimension to the sound, and then it's over almost as fast as it began.
The title track, “Ample Fire Within” (also mentioned on the back of the promo as “Amplifier Within”) starts with a riff that sounds a lot like a jazzier Earth, which eventually turns into a building, discordant riff with Gentry's vocals buried underneath it. This gives way to an atmospheric drone courtesy of Stebmo's Wurlitzer. This gives way to more full-on doom, which is eventually invaded by speaker-shattering leads. The song ends with a strange Wurlitzer/guitar drone that sounds like someone trying to imitate the Sputnik satellite with their instruments.
“Divine” feature's Gentry channeling Tom Waits, surprisingly effectively, over a slow, heavy, and yet sparse guitar/Wurlitzer backing with plenty of time to sit back and reflect on itself without ever relieving any of the tension it's built. The guitar/Wurlitzer/trombone breakdown (not like metalcore) near the end is really cool.
“V O G” opens with what sounds like a bagpipe far off in the distance, with marching drums, all of which turns into another sped-up, Sunn 0))) style sludge riff.. This track features Bubba Dupree and Kim Thayil on lead guitar. The classic doom vocals don't come in until almost five minutes in. What I really love about this track is that you can pretty easily pick out who's playing which guitar on lead.
“Dark Matter” opens with Stebmo's organ and low, doomy vocals and detuned, Earth style guitar drones. The organ really makes this track, providing a backbone of creepy drones that holds everything else together, and there is a lot going on here. About halfway through, the trombone supplements the organ's drones as the riffing gets heavier and the drums come in. Then the riffing gets about as straight-up metal as the context of this album allows, with a triumphantly stoned doom crescendo somewhat reminiscent of Candlemass.
Basically, this is one of the best metal albums I've heard so far (so far, because I have a stack of seven more that Vu sent me that I have yet to listen to), this year. If you consider yourself a self-respecting metalhead, and you're into doom, this one is pretty much a no-brainer. Pick it up!
More info can be found at Southern Lord's official site
The first thing Philadelphia's Javelina wants you to know is that their name is pronounced as if it were a Spanish word. Like “Ha-ve-lee-na.” In fact, it's printed right on the front spine of their debut CD for Translation Loss Records. A javelina is like a sort of wild pig (technically a peccary). This is actually a completely useless fact, but I found it while Googling the band to find out more information on them, and thought you'd like to know. It's also a rather appropriate name for a band that sounds like these guys.
The album is sludge metal, inspired by bands like Down, Motorhead, Eyehategod, and Crowbar. The band features ex-members of Lickgoldensky, Smut, and Otophobia. This is a very straightforward metal disc. This album is heavy in more of a literal sense, in that it sounds like a band made up of a bunch of large, angry dudes. The vocals basically sound like a dude who's about to smash your face in with nothing but his fist. The album typically sticks to more straightforward rhythms with more emphasis a thick, sludgy tone than on displaying the players' chops (which are definitely there).
The musicianship is competent. There's quite a bit of punk influence here (particularly on tracks like “Asbestos”), and even a little bit of modern “post-metal,” for lack of a less annoying term (like the sort of stuff Robotic Empire has been putting out a lot of, lately) on “Architect,” which is probably the best track on the album, but I'd say it'll appeal more to metalheads than anyone else. If you like bands with Phil Anselmo in them (e.g. Pantera, Down, Superjoint Ritual), then these guys might be right up your alley.
These guys are currently on tour, so if you like what you hear, go check 'em out! Their debut album is out now on Translation Loss records. More info: Official MySpace page
May 17 2008 8:00P The Drunken Unicorn w/ Withered Atlanta, Georgia
May 18 2008 8:00P Hell w/ Tooth, Horsefang Chapel Hill, North Carolina
May 19 2008 8:00P NARA Sushi w/ Tooth, Lord By Fire Richmond, Virginia
Jul 11 2008 8:00P Talking Head w/ Sourvein Baltimore, Maryland
Jul 12 2008 8:00P Manhattan Room w/ Sourvein Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Jul 13 2008 8:00P The Knitting Factory w/ Sourvein New York, New York
-Soup
Cursed are a Canadian hardcore band born in 2001, including former and current members of The Swarm, Left For Dead, Shallow North Dakota, and the legendary (for their incredibly rare and equally violent live shows) Haymaker. Their new album, Cursed III, out on Goodfellow Records, is a thrash masterpiece, with a sort of “Deathwish” edge to it (which, I guess, should be kind of obvious, considering Deathwish put out their first record).
It opens with a sound collage. “Architects of Troubled Sleep” sets the mood for the album, but honestly, on every listen after the first, I've found myself skipping it. The urgings to “Go shopping. Go back the mall. Go back to your normal lives,” are the kind of thing I'm really sick of hearing on punk records, in any context. It's just not really all that clever anymore, and I just kind of tune it out, at this point.
Thankfully, “Night Terrors” busts down the door with lightning fast drumming, aggressive guitars and some of the angriest vocals put to tape in recent memory. Lyrically, it sticks to the theme of dreams set forth by the first track.
The next track, “Magic Fingers” is an unashamedly anti-organized religion rant shouted over fast, sludgy riffing and some solid, technical drumming and some of the best lyrics on the album.
“Antihero Resuscitator” is thrash at its finest. And it's about where the album starts slowing down. “Friends in the Music Business” is a song about sycophants over a downtuned doomy sludge with the vocals cutting through, ending with a chant of “Don't call me; I won't call you,” shouted at the top of Chris Colohan's lungs.
“Into the Hive” picks up a little bit of speed, but keeps the sludge intact. The lyrics are about people who choose to live oblivious to the suffering around them by doing everything money can buy to shield themselves from having to look at it. But the speed doesn't last very long. “III” is a slow, sludgy instrumental that serves as a lead-in to “Unnecessary Person,” a sludge epic in four minutes.
“Hegel's Bastards” is another fast song with dystopian lyrics. It's pretty rare that you actually hear a hardcore band referencing Hegel in any way. Not so rare that you hear them reference Orwell, however.
“Dead Air at the Pulpit” is a rant against the people who profit off the faith of others. One of the more obvious and straightforward songs on this record (although, most of the songs here are pretty straightforward). It's another fast one, and it's over in less than two minutes.
The album ends with a seven-minute instrumental, “Gutters.” It ends the album in a fitting way: something that sounds like a fuzzed-out funeral dirge. It doesn't really go anywhere, but it kind of feels like that's the point.
All in all, Cursed III is a damn solid dystopian hardcore album by a band from whom you should expect no less. Fans of bands like Converge, Orchid, and just general gimmick-free, awesome metallic hardcore without the stupid haircuts or the tough-guy posturing will will love this.
Unfortunately, I kind of dropped the ball on getting this up in time for the European tour they're on right now, and by the time I realized they were on it, they were playing their last UK date. But here are the rest of the dates:
03-5
Lyon/France @ Warm Audio
04-5 Milan/Italy @ The Garage
05-5
Vienna/Austria @ Arena
06-5 Prague/Czech Republic @ 007
07-5
Nurnberg/Germany @ K4/Zentralcafe
08-5 Dornbirn/Austria @
Schlachthaus
09-5 Karlsruhe/Germany @ Jubez
10-5
Meerhout/Belgium @ Groezrock
11-5 Groningen/Netherlands @
Vera
12-5 Hamburg/Germany @ Hafenklang
13-5 Gothenburg/Sweden @
Sticky Fingers
14-5 Oslo/Norway @ Garage
15-5 Stockholm/Sweden
@ Debaser + Disfear + Rotten Sound
16-5 Malmö/Sweden @ Debaser +
Disfear + Rotten Sound
17-5 Berlin/Germany @ Cassiopeia
18-5
Mülheim/Germany @ AZ
19-5 Amsterdam @ Bitterzoet
-Soup
|
|
|
|
I was once watching Henry Rollins talk about meeting William Shatner for the recording of “I Can't Get Behind That” from his album, Has Been. In the story, he recalls the Shat asking him, “Henry, do you hear a guitar?”
His reply: “No, but I hear a high pitched whine in my right ear since 1982.”
This quote kept replaying itself in my head as I watched The Sword and Slough Feg destroy the Neurolux in a way that would make Slayer proud, and now I'm hearing it loud and clear despite the high-pitched whine in my own right ear. While Children dropping off the bill was rather disappointing, it gave the other bands much longer sets to work with, making the $10 cover more than worth it. Both bands played for roughly an hour, and didn't let up for a second.
San Franciso's Slough Feg (formerly The Lord Weird Slough Feg) is a band that started life in 1990 in Pennsylvania. Their sound is a more traditional, hard rock style of metal with a doomy edge. Vocalist/guitarist Mike Scalzi spent as much time standing on the floor monitors as he did standing on the stage and the band ripped through their set with more energy than most bands half their age. Between songs, Mike asked trivia questions and threw records to the people who answered them correctly. He also seemed to be all about posing for pictures whenever he saw a camera. The band sounded tight, and were a lot of fun. Definitely worth catching on their own.
|
|
|
|
|
|
But the crowd didn't really start going nuts until The Sword went on. The Sword is a much younger band, formed in Austin, Texas in 2003. Their sound is more on the “thrash” end of doom metal, with riffing reminiscent of early Metallica, guitar solos worthy of the same, and enough sludgy breakdowns to keep any doom junkie nice and happy. They didn't have quite the stage presence of Slough Feg, but they made up for it with sheer intensity and speed. The band was in excellent form, with top notch guitar heroics taking the center stage. The drunken crowd ate it up. I ate it up sober. My neck is still sore from headbanging. These guys are one of the most important touring metal bands right now, and it's easy to see why. They can work a crowd effortlessly, and there are few bands at the same level of technical skill playing this kind of music right now. This band is going to be huge by the end of the year.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Both
of these bands are still on tour. Unfortunately, Slough Feg will only
be playing with The Sword for two more shows, in Salt Lake and
Denver. The Sword is touring through July, including an east coast
tour with Torche and Stinking Lizaveta, and then a European tour with
Metallica! I can't emphasize enough that this band is about to be inconceivably huge,
so catch them in a tiny club while you still can!
Apr 26 : Denver, CO - Bluebird Theater w/ Slough Feg & Children
Apr 28 : Wichita, KS - BarleyCorns w/ Children & Black Gasoline
Apr 29 : Oklahoma City, OK - The Conservatory w/ Children & Those Peabody's
May 09 : Fort Worth, TX - Lola's w/ Torche, Stinking Lizaveta
May 10 : Memphis, TN - Hi-tone w/ Torche, Stinking Lizaveta
May 11 : Nashville, TN - Exit/In w/ Torche, Stinking Lizaveta
May 12 : Covington, KY - The Mad Hatter w/ Torche, Stinking Lizaveta
May 13 : Detroit, MI - The Magic Stick w/ Torche, Stinking Lizaveta
May 14 : Columbus, OH - Ravari Room w/ Torche, Stinking Lizaveta
May 15 : Washington, DC - Rock and Roll Hotel w/ Torche, Stinking Lizaveta
May 16 : Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church w/ Torche, Stinking Lizaveta
May 17 : Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg w/ Torche, Stinking Lizaveta
May 18 : Boston, MA - Middle East Downstairs w/ Torche, Stinking Lizaveta
May 20 : Raleigh, NC - Lincoln Theatre w/ Torche, Stinking Lizaveta
May 21 : Savannah, GA - The Jinx w/ Torche, Stinking Lizaveta
May 22 : Tallahassee, FL - The Beta Bar w/ Torche, Stinking Lizaveta
May 23 : St. Petersburg, FL - State Theatre w/ Torche, Stinking Lizaveta
May 24 : Orlando, FL - The Social w/ Torche, Stinking Lizaveta
May 25 : Gainsville, FL - Common Grounds w/ Torche, Stinking Lizaveta
May 26 : Atlanta, GA - Lenny's w/ Torche, Stinking Lizaveta
May 27 : Birmingham, AL - The Bottle Tree w/ Torche, Stinking Lizaveta
May 28 : Baton Rouge, LA - Spanish Moon w/ Torche, Stinking Lizaveta
May 29 : Houston, TX - Rudyard's w/ Torche, Stinking Lizaveta
Jun 12 : Manchester, TN - Bonnaroo Music Festival w/ Metallica & many more...
Jul 16 : Bergen, Norway - City of Bergen Festival w/ Metallica
Jul 18 : St. Petersburg, Russia - SKK Hall w/ Metallica
Jul 20 : Riga, Latvia - Skonto Stadium w/ Metallica
Jul 22 : Bologna, Italy - Parco Nord w/ Metallica
Jul 23 : Bucharest, Romania - Cotroceni Football Stadium w/ Metallica
Jul 25 : Sofia, Bulgaria - Levski Stadium w/ Metallica
Jul 27 : Istanbul, Turkey - Inonu Stadium w/ Metallica
More info:
-Soup
My Groups
-
A & R Updated: 1 minute ago
-
Social Justice Updated: 1 hour ago
-
Indie Pop Updated: 1 hour ago
Neighborhood
Explore friends, family, friends & family, or entire neighborhood.
