Doom in June III Festival Lineup Announced

DOOM IN JUNE III FESTIVAL

Heavy Planet is proud to be a sponsor of this year's installment of the Doom in June Festival in Las Vegas on June 1st at the Cheyenne Saloon. The all-day-and-night Vegas doom-metal fest returns after a year in hiatus with a strong collection of bands, including The Skull (featuring ex-members of Trouble), classic (having formed back in '77) metal act Manilla Road, stoner-rock trio Karma to Burn, heavy-psyche group Ancestors, San Antonio sludge-slingers Las Cruces, Seattle doom-shroomers Snail and ex-Monster Magnet guitarist Ed Mundell's Ultra Electric Mega Galactic. Lots of locals will be performing this time, unlike previous installments: Demon Lung, Dali's Llama, Albatross Overdrive, Megaton and Spiritual Shepherd. 

Look for more info and updates at Facebook.com/DoomInJune.

Presale tickets onsale now at www.brownpapertickets.com

Album Of The Week-"Of Sound Mind"-Ancestors (2009)

I noticed that a few of you had this album in your top 10 for 2009, and quite frankly do not know for the life of me how I let this one slip past my ears. If you are into the psychedelic side of Stoner Rock, then this album is one you should definitely check out. I may just have to update my Top 10 of 2009. Therefore, I am making "Of Sound Mind" by Ancestors my Album Of The Week.

Review:

"Ancestors' masterful debut, "Neptune with Fire", was apparently nothing more than a demo. The band wanted to re-record it, but Tee Pee Records insisted it was fine as it was. The label was right - Neptune with Fire was lightning in a bottle and I'm of the opinion that trying to recreate it could've been a fool's errand. All the same, that revelation further piqued my interest in their sophomore album, Of Sound Mind. What would this California-based five piece do with the luxury of studio time?

Production-wise, there actually isn't that much of a difference - a touch more clarity overall, and the vocals are occasionally pushed further up in the mix (too far at times, but since the band's usually skyrocketing off on some inspired instrumental trip, it's a minor quibble). Music-wise, it's also more of the same, but seeing how “the same” in this case is a mish-mash of Kyuss by way of King Crimson by way of Sleep by way of Pink Floyd by way of Neurosis by way of Hawkwind, you can't say they're not pushing themselves.

And with the eight song Of Sound Mind (of which four stretch past the ten minute mark), Ancestors continues to defy any attempt at pigeonholing. They effortlessly move from one genre to the next with such grace that it's a seamless transition. Obviously, the longer cuts - “Mother Animal, “The Bounty of Age,” “The Trial,” and “The Ambrose Law” - in particular offer ample evidence of the band's musical dexterity (the shorter numbers serve mostly as vignettes between songs, although “Challenging” seems to be a longer, more fleshed out version of “Not the Last Return”). There's an instinctive sense of knowing when and how to turn a doom riff into a rock one and let it stretch out before bringing it back to its original form.

I'm not sure I could pick any one song as the highlight, as each has something unique to offer (okay, maybe not so much with “From Nothing”). I will say that “Bounty of Age” is a testament to the band's guitar playing, that Black Math Horsemen's Sera Timms adds some captivating vocals to “The Trial,” and that while “The Ambrose Law” is the most conventional of the four epics, it's straightforward approach serves as the perfect end to an album that's as emotionally complex as it is musically. Ancestors was off to a fine start with Neptune with Fire and on Of Sound Mind, they've taught the old dog of progressive stoner rock enough tricks to grant it a permanent spot in Cirque du Soleil. Recommended." (John Pegoraro, StonerRock.com)

Track Listing:

01.From Nothing
02.Mother Animal
03.Not the Last Return
04.Bounty of Age
05.A Friend
06.The Trial
07.Challenging
08.The Ambrose Law

Listen

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Album Of The Day-Ancestors-"Neptune With Fire" (2008)

The Album Of The Day is "Neptune With Fire" by Ancestors.



Review:

"Holy kettles of doom! All hail the ascendant heirs to the throne of heaviosity. Ancestors debut album is an on-point, meisterwerk of epic, psychedelic lava. White hot and buzzing riffs burrow into your glandular system and explode. You melt into the tidal push of their attack. Just at the point where you finally become one with the sound, a corner is turned and the whole swirling juggernaut floats into the neutral buoyancy of deep space.
“Neptune with Fire” is the first outing from this LA band and it’s an appropriate title. The heat here emerges from the depths of a great watery unknown. Masterful hands of restraint guide and push these two epics through several cycles of sound. Applying Joseph Campbell’s framework of myth, “Neptune with Fire” tells the tale of a hero going through stages of; war, celebration, remorse and revelation. While this format might give some a Tolkienesque pause, I’d say wait a bit and examine this cycle within the context of your own life. It’s a human story writ large. Like Beowulf and Grendel or Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the battle is actually an internal one. It’s the tale about coming of age, facing one’s demons, being shattered by the experience, and then somehow reassembling one’s psyche and moving forward into life. Is this too much to ask from a heavy metal record? I say it isn’t and Ancestors pulls it off with a depth and flourish that transcends their newbie status. The solid playing and excellent production are a testament to the band’s chops and musical knowledge. There are nods on this to everyone from Pentagram to Goblin to Hawkwind. While this history may inform Ancestors approach, this is no retro affair. The tonality and concepts propelling this music make it somehow timeless.
A final word must be said about the visionary cover artist Arik “Moonhawk” Roper. I have been following his work for several years now and it just gets better all the time. He is the standard bearer for such luminaries as Ralph Bakshi and Frank Frazetta while carving out his own style. Along with his mythic characters, what has really been impressive are the layered, dark palette areas of smoky and watery space. This has been evidenced on covers for Howlin Rain to posters for SUNNO))), and on this album the effect is both exciting and complementary. Kudos to North Atlantic Sound / TeePee for putting out this awesome and heavy-hitting package." (Keith Boyd, Blogsandiego.com)

Track Listing:

01. Orcus Avarice (16:48)
02. Neptune with Fire (21:40)

Listen

MySpace
Official Website