Album Review: Mojave Desert Rebels - "High Class Clown"

As a listener, as a fan, what is the epitome of rock n' roll? What does a band have to possess, develop, or deliver to be at the height of . . . not greatness in the sense of fame and fortune, but greatness in terms of music recorded. Kyuss reached that level without ever achieving the fame and subsequent fortune they so richly deserved, and the stoner/doom world is littered with similar examples - Dozer, Truckfighters, Fu Manchu, Sasquatch, Brain Police - many that will jump instantly to your mind if not to mine. So, what is it these underground, unsung rock n' roll heroes deliver that makes them so special? Simply put, great music, but great music consisting of parts that stand alone as crafted impeccably, and that then come together as a phenomenal experience. Parts that are made up of agile, athletic drumwork, pulse pounding bass guitar, vocals of devilish delight, melodies that hook you so hard you nearly bleed, and above all, guitar made with the stuff of the cosmos, pure and brilliant and intrinsic to our very soul. Today's band, on their debut EP release, have managed to not only manufacture music in a similar fashion, with superlative individual performances playing masterful melodies blended into what will surely be for many fans of this pure form of rock a memorable and monumental experience to be cherished for years to come, but to add one more component to the mix that sends it over the top in pure reverberated bliss - excitement. Mojave Desert Rebels, to benignly state what will become obvious after listening to their album, enjoy what they do to a very high degree. This makes for a total rock experience that can only be surpassed in a live environment. Put on your tennies and keep your whiplash brace handy as you plug this hi test music in and spin all dials as far to the right as they will go. (Settle down, it's just a poor metaphor, not meant to be taken literally).
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MOJAVE DESERT REBELS - "HIGH CLASS CLOWN"

Hailing from Copenhagen, Denmark, and having only been together since 2011, the foursome of Mojave Desert Rebels have managed to leapfrog to the forefront of enjoyable rock music with their initial studio release of the EP "High Class Clown"

The members are:

Martin Bentø - Vocals
Morten Bernstorf Hansen - Guitar
Andreas Bütow Pröll - Drums
Guillaume Blanjean - Bass


These guys take their cues from classic heavy hitters such as Led Zeppelin and ZZ Top as well as genre giants Kyuss, implicit in the name of their band. While the influences certainly exist, they have taken the tools learned and developed their own unique method of carving up the ether with distortion and fuzz, slicing through with a fierceness and joy rarely noticed in a band. "High Class Clown" is the home to four raunchy, rockin', four minute forays where excitement and ability blend for an unforgettable experience.

The EP kicks off with "Village in the Sands", a seemingly pleasant ditty that opens with an enjoyable melody of agreeable delivery that has a slight smolder at first perhaps going unnoticed in the totality of the music and not becoming immediately or fully apparent, never having a true switch, instead simply building in intensity until by the time the solo is unleashed, almost 2 minutes in, an all out blitz of emotion, volume, and distortion is in full bore ear plug mode. This is the introduction to Bentø's vocals, a powerful tool in the massive instrumental battery of these proxy desert rockers.

The title track is next up and unlike its predecessor starts off with a show of might. Hansen and Bentø showcase their muscle in slow flexion while Blanjean and Pröll drive it all forward in measured and powerful deliveries of rhythmic domination throughout the first half, all brilliantly in control of a tapestry of hot burning fuses that eventually reach the payload where a big bang of brilliance and expanding magnitude is unleashed. The payoff is a second half that evolves into an exquisite display of interwined brilliance and monstrous musicianship.

"Enemies on Fire" exquisitely opens with Bentø's plaintive wail of aching beauty that is soon taken up by riff, lick, hook, and fill from dynamic deliveries of deep instrumental distortion running through an escalating atmospheric ascension toward an incomparable crescendo of brilliance and domination.

"Towers of the Skies" rolls out heavy machinery topped by napalm delivery systems. Blanjean's basswork here is incredible - deep, nimble, and unyielding as the stanchion upon which Bentø and Hansen propel heat seeking missiles in a spreading arc of white hot brilliance and Pröll maintains a radius of staccato discharge. As this fuzz destroyer advances the intensity increases in a slow burning buildup of ferocity and proficiency until maximum output is reached at climax.

Not listed on the album but included as a YouTube video below is "The Desert Song", a slightly different, bluesier, equally intense and brilliant song. Check it out along with the EP on Bandcamp, Reverbnation, or Soundcloud.

I think you will be hard pressed to find much in the world of rock this year that delivers on as many musical levels as "High Class Clown" while also demonstrating  sheer pleasure and enjoyment in delivery. It is a brilliant debut from a band that is likely destined for some level of notoriety if longevity can become one more hallmark of the band.







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New Band To Burn One To: MOTHER ENGINE

HEAVY PLANET presents...MOTHER ENGINE!

BAND BIO:

 Napoleon Dynamite - The Sound of The Engine

Cory Nelious - The Rhythm of The Engine

Wyatt Wrestle - The Power of The Engine

Katrin Lehmann - The Sex of the Engine

THOUGHTS:
"One thing about instrumental bands is that they can be either really boring or simply amazing. I began listening to Plauen, Germany 4-piece Mother Engine while I was doing some pre-vacation activities and it caught my attention enough to make it today's NBTBOT. When you think instrumental Stoner Rock the obvious comes to mind, Karma To Burn. Well this band sounds nothing like that. There is a trippy far-out vibe to this music that flows throughout the album without feeling forced. While there are your standard stoner rock riffing and groove, you are also rewarded with a mind-altering and climactic journey complimented by a suave and fantastic funkiness. This is chill-out music to the max, music that touches your soul, and an album that makes you get lost in the music. Interesting and complex rhythms are added to this album to keep you guessing where it will take you next. Check out the epic album closer "Weltraumwolf", it slays!!
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LP Review - "Scaled" by Talbot

The heaviest duo on planet earth known as Talbot, come with their second full length release in the form of "Scaled" consisting of 7 mighty slabs of Sludge with thick lashings of Doom, Death, Stoner, psychedelia and post-metal.

Estonian's Magnus Andre on bass guitar, synths, vocals and Jarmo Nuutre on drums & vocals, Talbot are a very focused and hardworking couple of heavyman having toured consistently throughout Europe and worldwide since their first full length "EOS" and in that time have built a solid and dedicated following. They can count me as one of them as when I first picked up "EOS" I had it on near repeat for a week or so and it has now taken pride of place on my regular playlist ever since.

With "Scaled" Talbot have taken their already huge sound and have risen it to new far away dimensions of brilliance! What's on offer here are 7 tracks of deliciously psychedelic doomy sludge jammed out like they're Om's evil twin. From the outset of "Spectral Express" we are treated to captivatingly filthy riffs complimented by bashed out drums of perfection, soaring and uplifting vocals against death metal grunts and phlegmy growls and twisted electronic psychedelia that mangles Talbot's sound into a stunning sonic art work of brightly colored soundscapes.

The foundations are firmly laid by this track and by the end of the opener things are nicely settled setting you up for the following 6 tracks that continue in the same vein but explore the infinite levels of sludge metal with a craftsmanship that can only come from many long hours of constant bashing away at instruments.

Jaw dropping moments for me are "ShadowBird", a 12 minute journey through windy psychedelia, intuitive nodding riffs and tumbling percussion that builds to dirgy down-beat Death Metal sections until the track then lifts up to the spirit raising heights of Post-metal lusciousness and "Hallelucinogen", the albums closer is almost psychedelic Death Metal that lurches towards solemn church organs and shows Talbot at their most experimental.

Indeed "Scaled" is an experimental album which explores the myriad levels of Doom and Sludge without leaving behind most excellent bass riffs and precision drumming. The meat and potatoes are forever at the forefront whilst the heavy effects and psychedelic explorations are deftly inserted into the mix of Doom, Death, Sludge and Post-metal to leave Talbot as one of the most interesting bands currently of those genres.

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Zac's "Double Dose": Cavern / Vintage Cucumber

 

Cavern: Cavern S/T 

Can you recall the sound of authenticity? For example, the first time you listened to a cassette recording of an early thrash metal band. That raw, very real life sensation that overcame you? Or, for those more contemporary listeners, the initial feeling induced by the grimey sludge growing in Georgia in the early 2000's. That strange progressive combination of swampy grooves and violent thrashing? Well, if you can't then today is going to be a good day for you, because you get another chance to relive that rare moment. This is were we find the beauty of music and its ever evolving, progressing nature which the sonic being cycles, and finally what keeps us coming back for more. What we have here is a Maryland based trio that have hybridized punk, sludge and thrash metal. The band call themselves Cavern and have released their self-titled debut record on February 26th, via Grimoire Records. The opening thunder of the bass and drums on Far Beyond Fields and Evergreens will leave your senses unprepared from the RIFF lashing you are about to endure. Yes, Cavern's RIFFING here is just plain vulgar. If this doesn't remind you of that 1980's thrash vitality, you may very well be hopeless. But then, if you're hopeless this may be the record for you. Now that Cavern has dragged you through their coarse and gritty dirt and your skin is a little tougher, you are weathered and prepared for the storm, and believe me these tracks truly storm the senses. The record is full of relentless RIFFING, a mix of witty percussion and ravaging drum lines, and a three-fold vocal attack. The vocal approach of Cavern is a characteristic worth praising. By employing all three voices, either at the same time or separate times, the songs have an energized and original sound. I really enjoy the muted and buried sound of the vocals in the production, as if the voice is shouting for life through the walls of a sealed room a few doors down. There's a lot to experience here on Cavern's self-titled debut. So, don't be surprised if this one stands the test of time and rears its ugly head come the closing of 2013.

**CDs are available for a limited time at Grimoire Records bandcamp page.**

Members: 

Nick - Bass // Vocals 

Steve - Drums // Vocals 

Zach - Guitar // Vocals

I bandcamp I facebook I

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Vintage Cucumber: Jup's Chillout Lounge Style 

Guten Morgen... or Good Morning. I think it's time to change the pace here at the Double Dose. So, lets cut the head banging, stretch out and forget we have limbs. This second shot is a sole-devised sonic experiment full of fuzzy and warm psychedelia sure enough to leave you levitating. Our maestro and master of ceremonies is Johannes Schulz, the lone mind that conveys the Vintage Cucumber cosmic orchestra. This one man extravaganza has released a handful of albums within the past year, but today we are going to focus on one particular release entitled Jup's Chillout Lounge Style. So remember, this half of the 'Dose is for quiet and peaceful reflection. Let's lose track of time. Jup's... begins with a with a repetitive female spoken line wishing us all a Good Morning in German. The track flows into an elegantly strummed Eastern sounding instrumental, similar to a sitar, while a crash of a gong is buried deep in the back of the mix. This sounds as though it would cause chaos, but in actuality the depth that the sound is buried makes for a comforting heart-beat. If you're looking for a good way to zone out, Guten Morgen is the ideal way to start. The albums sways in and out of a this shoegaze style of drone and psychedelia for approximately fifty minutes. Here and there you will find snippets of vocal passages or laughter, but for the most part Vintage Cucumber's music will obscure you in a warm haze. Sound like a trip you're interested in taking? Great! Just head over to the Vintage Cucumber bandcamp page for Jup's Chillout Lounge Style along with a plethora of other releases.

Members: 

Johannes Schulz - Guitar // Bass // Drums // Synth // Fiddle // Effects

I bandcamp I facebook I last.fm I youtube I

New Band To Burn One To: PAISSANO

HEAVY PLANET presents...PAISSANO!

BAND BIO:

Paissano es una banda de Ituzaingó zona Oeste de Bs. As, Argentina.
Formada en 2009 por Pablo, Mariano, Lucas, y Gustavo. Con un Rock pesado, stoner, psicodélico y unos toques grunge, fueron mezclando bases sólidas, con riff potentes, violentos y sumamente efectivos.

Biografía en Inglés, amigo:

Paissano is a band from Ituzaingó, West area of Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Formed in 2009 by Pablo, Mariano, Lucas, and Gustavo. With heavy rock, stoner, psychedelic, and grunge touches we're mixing solid foundations with powerful riffs; violent and highly effective.

THOUGHTS:

"How 'bout a little fuzz, Scarecrow? These four Argentinians slap it on thick and immerse listeners in layers of desert sand and cinquefoil clouds of smoke via riffs, repetition, and long-drawn grooves. Stoner sensibilities evolve into trippy guitar tautologies and swampy stompers with the smoothest of transitions and the haziest of influences. Opening on the quick-footed dune bugger La Previa Imaginacion a la Explosion, Paissano keep tight hold on the stick shift as Cerveza Quilmes saturates the backseat. The buzz balances the smooth crunch from start to finish, while tracks like Ali Baba and the sludge-soaked Vienen Marchando hold as much stomp as they do swagger. These ten songs spit enough dusty clout to make you forget that you don't know a lick o' Spanish. Check out Paissano's bandcamp page and set the dial to eleven. Oh, and this self-titled is hardly their first rodeo. Dig back into their catalog and hit the road. ¡Este sonido es sabroso!"

((Bandcamp | Facebook | Pure Volume))