Quick Hit: MOANING CITIES - "Moaning Cities"

I think perhaps I need to place a permanent office in the midst of the fertile stoner/psych/doom/retro rock country of Belgium. Many of the bands and albums I've highlighted in the past few months have come from that rich rock n' roll province. Today we add one more to the burgeoning list with Moaning Cities, a quartet of interesting blueprint. Operating with both guitar and sitar, backed magnificently by a female rhythm section, Moaning Cities manage to pack plenty of bite and ferocity around ragged edges and furious riffs, co-mingling with otherwise smooth, milky psychedelic power sojourns.

Moaning Cities have been around for 5 years, and have managed to release 3 albums, the first of which is showcased here today. This is because the first album has a more ragged stoner vibe, as does the second album, "Pathways Through the Sail", while the latest release, "D. Klein" is more soporific and spell-binding. The matchless melodies and mammoth music of Moaning Cities can catch one occasionally reminiscing in brief spurts on the fine desert rock of Kyuss. There is nothing direct, no homage, just a recognition that what you are listening to combines power, heart, and musical athleticism, the very best of what rock has to offer.

bandcamp *|:|* facebook *|:|* soundofliberation*|:|* youtube *|:|* label *|:|* website

Quick Hit: King Hiss - "Mastosaurus"

Yesterday's Quick Hit was a band from Belgium. While cruising through the land of chocolate, beer, and diamonds I stumbled across another fine act, King Hiss, who have been expertly wielding their 4 piece stoner/doom arsenal since 2011, conquering the metal scene both in studio, with 4 bulging albums and a two track acoustic segue, as well as in the live venues and festivals of Europe where they have made their reputation for delivering towering, stellar performances.

The music is an exceptional blend of stoner and doom sensibilities with some traditional metal thrashing thrown in to spice it all up. The songs are written with an ear for what's intriguing and memorable, while the vocalist lays waste with his well honed sonance in the vanguard of blistering solos, abundant riffs, and ravaging rhythms.

bandcamp >>|<< website >>|<< facebook >>|<< youtube >>|<< twitter

Quick Hit: Fire Down Below - "Viper Vixen Goddess Saint"

The focus today is on Ghent, Belgium's Fire Down Below and their debut album "Viper Vixen Goddess Saint". There is everything to say about this album. It's an injection of intense musical exhilaration, evident from the opening riff of the first full song, "Through Dust and Smoke" and never wavering in intensity or satisfaction through to the aptly titled closer "The Mammoth". The melodies are the star here, songs written so beautifully, and delivered so expertly and heartfelt that it's an intoxicating opium rush of warmth and pleasure, paradoxically sharpening senses and expanding sensuality, opening dormant avenues of perception in efforts to experience every little nuance of riff and searing solo, of flourishes of stick on skin, of deep bass blitzes, and of every ingress of those brilliant and exquisite harmonizing vocals.

bandcamp >>|<< facebook

Quick Hit: Bathsheba - "Servus"

Resplendence and shadow could easily be the hallmarks of the exquisitely rendered "Servus" from Bathsheba, a Belgian quartet of low-tuned and penetrating boulder crushers, who take hallmarks of their inherent land to provide dark, haunting, atmospheric encounters from their native charcoal mountains intertwined with the brilliance and density of Antwerp's diamond industry. Shadows and light, power and finesse, subterranean depths and soaring heights, all are delivered with great appetite and ferocious prowess. Fronted by the elegant and ethereal vocals of Michelle Nocon, bolstered by the underlying vigor and brawn of bassist Raf Meukens and drummer Jelle Stevens, and masterfully propelled throughout by guitarist Dwight Goossens, the odyssey through coagulation and syrup of ebon is entrancing and euphoric.

bandcamp >><< facebook

Band Submission: Jusska-Progressive Rock/Metal From Belgium

Band Name: Jusska
Genre: Progressive Rock/Metal
Location: Belgium
Brief Bio/Description: Jusska is the brainchild of guitarist Leander Verheyen (BEAR - Atmospheres). He envisioned a band where guitar walls of sound collide with crystal clear singing. Armed with an array of vocal-less downtuned tracks he found his counterpart in
Iason Passaris. Who perfectly adds the finishing melodic touch.
These two are quite the groovemongers!

The first testament of this collababoration manifests itself in their debut 3-track L'homme de l'ombre. Self released and made available for free download at their bandcamp page, Jusska gained the support of the djent community with some
outstanding reviews...

In January 2016 they released their second endevour Tsuki which featured none other than Mike Malyan (ex-Monuments & Disperse) on drums. Jusska really took a step up with Tsuki, heavier grooves & mesmerizing melodies take your thoughts to the moon.

Jusska aims to develop their sound, without losing the somewhat pop-like approach and feel of their debut : Grinding grooves with harmonised vocal layers as icing on the cake are coming, in the form of a new release every trimester to keep the juices flowing.
Band Members:
Leander Verheyen - Guitars
Iason Passaris - Vocals
Servaas Steurbaut - Drums
Benny Huysman - Bass
Links: Facebook | YouTube | Bandcamp | EPK

Band Submission: Hedonist-Stoner, Sludge, Metal From Genk, Belgium

Band Name: Hedonist
Genre: Stoner, Sludge, Metal
Location: Genk, Belgium
Brief Bio/Description: Hedonist, a hard rockin', hard groovin' power trio from Genk, formed in the summer of 2010 when Roel Paulussen (Sardonis, Solenoid, Barabbas) and Frederik "Cozy" Cosemans (Serpentcult, Hemelbestormer, Death Penalty) decided to have a few jams together. Riffs and songs kept pouring out and soon a third party jumped on the train to wreak havoc upon the land. The thunderous bass and roaring vocals of Frank "Frenz" Homolka (Solenoid, The Killbots) were the perfect fit for Cozy's maniacal beats and Roel's neckbreaking axework and so the "power of three" was complete.

On their first release, a split with stoner/sludge giants Your Highness, Hedonist delivered an exciting, energetic and compelling mix of Motörhead, High On Fire, Karma To Burn and Monster Magnet that suckerpunched audiences straight in the face. No nonsense, no bullshit, no fancy gimmicks, just pure, honest, kick-ass rock-n'-roll.

Now, in the year 2016, the time has come to release the equally staggering full length "The Collapse". Once again recorded at Studio Jonathas under the watchful eye of Xavier Carion (ex-Channel Zero, Sons Of Jonathas, …) "The Collapse" is nothing more than the equivalent of a battering ram. From the pounding opener "The Urge", to the monstrous sludge assault of "Black Lungs" (featuring Ben from Your Highness on vocals) and the swampy, bluesy heaviness of "Beecher", Hedonist simply goes all the way on this one. Thirty-seven minutes of sheer rockin' mayhem coming your way. All killer, absolutely no filler! So brace yourself, open up a cold one and join the fun 'till you… collapse!
Band Members:
Roel Paulussen
Frederik 'Cozy' Cosemans
Frank 'Frenz' Homolka
Links: Website | Facebook | YouTube | RuffStuff | Bandcamp

Song of the Day-Hootka-"Ditchweed Foghead"

"Ditchweed Foghead" is taken off of the recently released full-length album "Marked" by Belgium grungy doom metallers Hootka. For more information about the band please check out the following link: Facebook

Sunday Sludge: Sunken - "Recoil"

Eleven months ago, I lamented "We only get five tracks, guys?" after submerging myself in Sunken's hypnotic, swollen demo. It was, of course, entirely complimentary, as those five songs collectively imposed a residual thickness that's still protecting my skull from lesser, boring releases sent my way. Sunken seamlessly hover, cool off, hit pause, and ultimately explode with more power than any two-piece has a right to. But what another bass/drum duo might reveal as weakness only serves as Sunken's spooky, chest-caving catalyst.

These Belgians lugged those swollen tracks and squeezed four more just behind them, wasting not an inch of air space and filling a sonic void that, again, we never knew existed. Thirty minutes expand and improve on the litany of the band's accomplishments, teetering between wholly encompassing and distantly foreboding. On Recoil, Sunken have found their static-sludge stride, slowly rolling out elements both adjacent and obtuse.

The new sounds are bookended by two massive nine-minute haunts that perfectly define their sound and their dynamic. On Sunken, the slow swell of A.'s smooth bass returns, graduating to a crashing storm of static. J.'s drums encircle with cool progression as rhythms worm and poke around corners. The marriage of drum and bass finds Sunken nailing their mark here, with low thumbings taking the lead only to withdraw as the burn deepens. The devastation here is subtle, dealt slowly and even calmly. Amid the haunt, however, is a gorgeous, flattened scene.

Damaged is immediately loose and abrupt, juxtaposing what we've just tread. Stop-start noise is chaotic, attributed to stringy, buoyant bass that breaks for stomping statements. You'll detect a nod toward space, approaching a shipyard on a foggy fadeout. So the transition to Downwards is a smooth one, a midnight stroll that's deceptive and captivating. A. guides our steps, but J. never trails by much. We're pulled blindly into alleys and can't seem to commit to one route, dodging the gradual approach of danger. When paces lift, a blanket of fuzz descends and a strong, ever-increasing groove offers no escape. Our vessels begin to pop.

Perhaps everything has led to the closing title track, offering trademarks and undaunted patience. The patches of enormity drizzled over long, numbing stretches are certainly highlights, but simply MASSIVE doom crashes emerge at the midpoint. The denouement buzzes and swarms upon itself, staying true to form but huffing in a whole new level of buzz. The crashes craft an incredible burn, and these final moments make for a sticky experience.

Sunken's great triumph is their lack of predictability. Listening to Recoil, I can't pinpoint where the sounds are headed, whether I'll be crushed by the weight or lifted from the soil. There's much to sift through, and the largest compliment I can give this release is that it'll require multiple spins. One bass. One drum. Hell, you won't even notice there's no vocal. Each progression is a statement, each shift is another nervous tick you've now developed. The deeper you go, the more you want. Junkie.

Facebook | Bandcamp

Sunday Sludge: 30,000 Monkies - "Somewhere Over The Painbow"

So Halloween is here. Actually, no... Halloween celebrations are here in the form of pumpkin beers and girls flying their true slut colors. It's the same shit every year. Dorothy goes knees-to-the-sky for some douche in a pimp outfit while your best friend spends Sunday morning posting embarrassing pictures of you in a torn costume and smeared mascara. Your kid's carved pumpkin somehow made it into the street and he's asking if Old Man Thompson is really gonna put staples in the sweets.

Well, perhaps timing is everything. Belgium's 30,000 Monkies chose this October to release their second album, Somewhere Over The Painbow. Both the band's name and the album's title scream Wizard of Oz, but otherwise these four tracks are as far as one could get from the wondrous colors and delightful strangers of the perennial fall classic. The weird, violent experimentations won't make your child's holiday special. In fact, I'll issue the warning now that you listen with headphones and ask your folks to babysit. Like shards of glass and an open bottle o' grain alcohol, these sounds have no place where children live.

If you're prone to nausea, avoid the jagged opener, Imerial Staches. The cavernous drums give way to hollow rhythms, heavily punctuated with fret descent. The screams are hardly surprising, but the balance of brevity with the brutality bounces with a stop-start bonus that'll leave you nodding in frantic "Yessir!" fashion. Bottom line, it's two minutes of fiery, hellish sludge-noise that leaves no wiggle room.

Follow that with spacey panning and uncoiled aggression on Amazones, odd and thick with flowing bass-led passages of meet-me-at-the-flagpole beatings. There's something technologically otherworldly snarling between the passages as choppy guitars hover with uncertainty. All kinds of lurches, lunges, churns, and spewings coat any expectations until the pace lifts on stoner-sludge passages. A staggering drunk finally collapses, but not before collecting loose-trash treasures all the way home.

Czarring pulls no punches and never masks the malice. Puzzling as the track is, you're never confused by its intentions. Slow-swelling evil draws us down a path coated with fuzz and cartoonish disdain. The vocals are clearer here, a highlight amid the odd chants that assist in clouding comparisons to other bands. A brief dance with wood shop guitars is interrupted by eerie Speak & Spell static and handclaps from hell's cheerleaders. With every quirk comes a thick dose of discomfort.

It would seem the disc's first three tracks offered enough jarring experimentation to allow the album's closer to breathe Transylvanian elements into ticks and belches. Batteram moans prophetically under spooky keys and totally fuckin' weird lyrics. The closest comparisons one might make to this doom carnival would be Ghost B.C.'s Secular Haze or or more likely Marilyn Manson's Shitty Chicken Gang Bang. Just three minutes in, however, we again meet gargantuan sludge-doom via drums and riffs in sync. The pendulum sways with abandon, the vocal is primal pain, and scratchy guitars may as well stab you with Lee Ranaldo's screwdriver. As a whole, the track is a steady stream of buzzing hornets and sluggish pauses, hollow pockets peppered between surges and screeches. The track is soaked in reverb, you're soaked in blood and sweat. As for those disembodied screams... Well, they weren't purchased at Halloween City.

Before the grinding repetitive troubles leave you cutting your own face and grinning with insanity, wait for the fever to pass. Somewhere Over The Painbow is devilishly harsh and addictive. If the band put on a mask, they certainly never bothered taking it off. Don't get in the van. He doesn't have a puppy, and candy doesn't go well with a side of calculated torture. The previous six paragraphs will tell you nothing about this band or this release. Approach with caution and tuck a key under your knuckles, guy. These sludge experiments are testing you as much as the sounds.

For fans of: Sepultura, Evil Superstars, Melvins
Pair with: Evil Dead Red, AleSmith Brewing Company

Site | Facebook | Bandcamp

Sunday Sludge: Deuil - "Acceptance/Rebuild"

"But the trees in Stephen's Green were fragrant of rain and the rain-sodden earth gave forth its mortal odour, a faint incense rising upward through the mould from many hearts."

You're just in a state of shock. Give it a few days until the realization of total loss throws you to the floor in bawling fits. Everyone is expecting you to break down; just do your best to keep it from happening in public, mate. There are stages. This is normal. Assert all you want that it's not fair and doesn't seem real, but that can't change the fact that you've been left alone and the backbone you thought you had suddenly needs tightening.

"Deuil" translates to mourning, so perhaps the tight-lipped side-stares could've been expected. But Belgium's blackened funeral-sludge quartet offer an atmosphere of total loss and wash it down with angst and an audience of cautious observation. Acceptance/Rebuild responds to that knock on your door with slow tempos, tightly-threaded swirls of haunt, and skyward glances hoping to prevent tears from streaming south. That being said, it's gonna take a few listens before you're fully willing to start the grieving process.

Two tracks totaling twenty-seven agonizing minutes, eh? Trust us, it's pretty good. The tracks seem to execute exactly what their names suggest. Acceptance employs disembodied chants and a cloud of floating-static riffs to distract from the impending slow-sipping sludge stomp. Layers emerge and mournful sobs breed skin-scratching crackles, all under the canopy of inwardly-directed anger. Rueful violence splits at the edges and reveals a self-hate that just might block this "acceptance" from ever truly happening. Massive walls of regret swell and sweep with processional droning as backmasked memories linger and tick. The seventeen-minute opener is melodic and melancholy, completely exhausting in all its thick grief.

But if there's any hope of forward-thinking, Rebuild provides it. Consider it a white-winter gaze at what's left and what lies ahead. Hollow guitars expand with accompaniments of fuzz and slow tempos, but they find their steam and build under suspicious progressions. The guitars remain distant and guarded, but the track remains ever-confident in its promises of new life. The post-metal rhythms elevate and send us into a total warp of perception. The ultimate sludge-drone field of churning doubt where we lay our heads is, quite simply, another world.

Deuil channel their hurt in a direction that saturates and completely submerges anyone nearby. Acceptance/Rebuild isn't gonna let you stuff down the pain. The wholly-unsettling manner through which they deliver this sludge leaves little time to notice the dirt; you're focusing on the dead. When you do find a way to cope, Deuil are gonna be directly at your side. It seems they've done this before. Hell, this album could serve as a clinic on loss, mourning, and how the fuck you move on.

For fans of: Rorcal, Mournful Congregation, Lycus
Pair with: Über Sun Imperial Summer Wheat, Southern Tier Brewing Company

Bandcamp | Facebook | Big Cartel | Tumblr | Lost Pilgrims Records

Sunday Sludge: Sunken - Demo

Oh, I wasn't paranoid enough? Can't blame the weed this time, dude. But does a clear head necessarily help make sense of things? Do we wanna make sense of things? If I take a slow, lumbering walk along foggy cobblestones, perhaps my night ends better if I never see the lurching figure in the distance. With as skittish as I am, however, my pace lifts on the assumption there's always something watching.

Belgium's instrumental two-piece Sunken have issued a demo loaded with swelling and retraction, continually exercising caution until it simply can't handle another moment of restraint. When they loosen their grip, it's immediate and fierce. The timed chaos is birthed of a simple, minimalist format that slugs out a unique precision, particularly when you find elements of noise, sludge, and doom metal. Tight for being loose and loud for being tempered, the five tracks here rattle and bulge, never allowing too much comfort.

Don't let the opener fool you. On Patterns of Despondence, the slow unfurl of corridor whispers and timid tip-toes hashes into a flaring stomp. Heavy on cymbals and riding a bass-fuzz glaze, Sunken perfect the whisper-to-a-crash approach. Gutteral pleas are immediately snuffed amid pensive, deliberate rhythms. Simple production lends itself to your punchy paranoia, and the crash of Dislocated's thick reverb breaks through your best attempt to sleep. As smoke billows and grows stagnant, the crunch dances and the sticky groove takes you out back to make you stink. Sludge expands without a flinch, and we've lost our way without losing our focus.

Drop Out could serve as a cornerstone in Bass Tutorial 101. Fill your schedule with the Kick Drum Clinic and wait for the progressive experimentations to result in devastation, tearing apart seams with hard and fast hits. Here Sunken are tightly wound and strung with bubbled thumbings, moving from sheltered to snarling. Don't worry about time in this spaced-out vacuum. A better question may be whether or not Sunken are too smart to sound this good.

The closing tandem of Unwilling (pt. 1 and pt. 2) catches its breath under a multitude of masks, with the bouncy pt. 1 unleashing a twitchy sludge that's noisy but never unlistenable. The tempo staggers and spits into pt. 2, the harder, slower, and filthier half-brother. There's more structure on pt. 2, but this merely allows for greater collapse. Doom cadence and Sunn O)))-drone influences are flexed on a hovering expansion. Incessant crashing and a heady clip of smoke and horrors cash in on the rising costs and increased demand. We only get five tracks, guys?

Sunken scratch and tick throughout this demo, whether it's via A.'s subterranean bass or J.'s precision thumps. What many would call a rhythm section is a bundle of nerves that leaves listeners thankful Sunken keep it simple. The sound is allowed to breathe, the neurosis isn't hidden, and the pacing is gonna put a strain on your frame. Nearly a half-hour of Tom Tykwer nail-gnawing is probably more than you thought you could handle. Curiosity got the best of us, and now we can't stop looking.

For fans of: Pigs, Slint, Ufomammut
Pair with: Arctic Panzer Wolf Imperial India Pale Ale, Three Floyds Brewing

Facebook | Bandcamp | Soundcloud

Steak Number Eight - The Hutch

This young Belgian band has recently been making a name for themselves. This is their third release and finally they have established their sound and now sound like a well-oiled machine. Not that their previous releases are bad – they are also really good - it’s just that “The Hutch” is so much better than “When the Candle Dies Out” and “All is Chaos”.

Their sound has pinches of sludge, stoner, hardcore and metal. Many people compare them with their label mates Cult of Luna but I would say they have more to their sound than that. They sometimes remind me of Cult of Luna, other times they resemble Deftones and Mastodon. I know it is a weird mix but the final result sure sounds good!

“The Hutch” is a long album. It is almost 75 minutes worth of music and you would think that it is easy to get bored with so much music. Unless the quality is extremely high and it indeed is!

The songs are crafted superbly. They have definitely developed their songwriting skills by miles. You have the pounding drums, the awesome guitars and riffs and the aggressive vocals. Not to mention the choruses are catchy as hell! There are absolutely no signs of formulas or repetitions that unfortunately invade today’s music.

Tracks like the first single “Black Eyed”, “Push/Pull” have all the necessary ingredients for any fans of nice, heavy, aggressive and bearded music. “Ashore” on the other hand is the album’s anthem, it brings down the pace and is a more melodic piece of work that ends up being a breath of fresh air towards the end of the album.

Have this said, “The Hutch” is an incredible album and proves that Steak Number Eight are one of the brightest up-and-coming artists of modern metal music. They are visibly taking huge steps forward and it is great to see that. I certainly have high hopes of whatever they will be doing in the future. Highly recommended.

www.steaknumbereight.com

www.facebook.com/steaknumber8

Zac's "Double Dose": Deville / The Black Heart Rebellion

 

Deville: Hydra 

If last year's Torche release, Harmonicraft, was 2012's epitome of a pop metal record then Deville's latest, entitled Hydra, will gladly pick up where Harmonicraft left off. Deville, a Swedish quartet based in Malmö, hold a heavy resume filled with two strict stoner rock releases and performances in the company of Fu Manchu, Mustasch and Sepultura. With Hydra, their third full length, the guys loosened their grip on the set stoner rock sound and opened themselves up to criticism by infusing the sonorous characteristics of pop rock and some astute songwriting. Now, while Harmonicraft showed up to the party with a playful vibe Hydra is a little more serious, filled with a young man's angst. Within moments of pressing play you will realize that the musicians here have no anxiety though, displaying a confidence and cohesion that many a veteran band cannot boast. Each musician knows his role and executes that task effortlessly all while increasing the chemistry between the other three band-mates. In the end though one feature of Hydra apexes making these forty-five minutes excellent and truly memorable... Andreas' King Leonidas style vocals. This powerful and intimidating tool along side the gravitating instrumentals niche a new step in the stoner rock ladder allowing Deville to stand out from their other rock peers. Check out the thick progressive sludge tendencies seeping into in the six minute monster Imperial below and get over to Smallstone Recordings Store to get a copy for yourself. If you aren't a believer yet be sure to click the youtube link below for the official video for album opener Lava!

Members: 

 Andreas Bengtsson - Vocals // Guitar 

Markus Åkesson - Bass 

Markus Nilsson - Drums 

Martin Hambitzer - Guitar

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The Black Heart Rebellion: Har Nevo 

This week's second dose is not your expected Doom, Psyche, Sludge or Stoner band that generally grace the virtual pages here at Heavy Planet. Belgium's The Black Heart Rebellion don't even land in any of these genres noticeable characteristics. Their sound actually tends to be minimalist [at times]. However listeners will find tremendous percussion supported by haunting melodies and abounding atmosphere in their completely authentic 2013 release Har Nevo. So, how the hell does Uncle Zac get off promoting this "crap" without RIFFS at the center of this little universe called Har Nevo (that was my poor attempt at comic relief). Well, I ask you for peace and a few moments of your time and TBHR will do the persuading. 

 Har Nevo begins with Avraham a middle eastern tinged tune the likes of OM's Advaitic Songs. Rather than being greeted with a relaxed vocal TBHR's Pieter Uyttenhove initiates the album breathing heavily as though he's been chased to the sanctuary's door only to find it locked. As the exhausted vocals climax so do the percussion and instrumental back-drop and the song fades to nil. The album continues on this path of eerie poetic proclamation and drone-y, post-rock quiet to loud sequences over the course of forty-five minutes. Attentive listeners will find many reoccurring themes through Har Nevo. In my opinion the most prominent are the themes of sin and home. The music and lyrics combined have created, for me, a concept album out of Har Nevo. I'm not sure if this is what the musicians intended, but I welcome it (because, as we all know, I'm quite fond of concept records). From my take the concept runs full circle beginning with Avraham burning down the broken "home" into a errant life full of "beasts", "sin", and "ashes". Just as all good and powerful stories find their eucatastrophe (the moment destruction turns to glory), TBHR's protagonist sheds that old skin through direction and guidance from some brave care-giver toward's the "golden land" of "light". Into The Land Of Another, album zenith and closer, completes the circle with a warm effervescent sound. The tasteful use of a banjo throughout Into The Land Of Another increases TBHR authenticity and brilliance and now although our protagonist is broken he will "rise" and "grow". In the end The Black Heart Rebellion have created something fresh for 2013, something I'm sure will make some friends and enemies throughout the next nine months. I suggest immersing yourself in these vibrations over at bandcamp where the entire album is streaming. Har Nevo offers more to return listeners, so if you find yourself in that category head over to Smoke & Dust's web store to order a copy for yourself.

Members: 

Alex Maekelberg - Guitars // Vocals // Percussion 

Emeriek Verhoye - Bass 

Pieter Uyttenhove - Vocals // Percussion 

Tim Bryon - Drums // Percussion 

Tomas Lootens 

Valentijn Goethals - Guitars

I bandcamp I facebook I tumblr I web I youtube I

Sunday Sludge: Lothorian - "Welldweller"

I'm trying real hard not to wake up the rest of the family. You've got one passed out on the couch, another upstairs tossing and churning in a sea of stuffed dogs and Lego bricks, and who knows what kind o' shit the others could get into if they're shaken awake by the death rattling from my speakers. I may not have the luxury to "crank that shit," but a good pair of headphones should do the trick.

Belgium's Lothorian are no strangers to Heavy Planet, and we're finally able to give a fair tug to their six-track sonic titan Welldweller. If you read the rest of today's feature, you're wasting time you could spend buying this epic stoner-sludge landmark and getting unzipped with your buddies. Please, you're not gonna hurt my feelings. It's a fucking miracle I can even see through the haze well enough to wipe the mud from my computer screen.

Welldweller strikes hard and deep from the onset of Witchunt, creeping and humming toward a filthy drop of doom. The sound is immediately thick and beautifully slow, and it gets harder to pull away (or pull out) with each buzzing riff. The long roll of heavy-handed drums paces the coagulating molasses and listeners hang from a rotted vine that could break at any moment. It's a promising opener that'll numb away the vacuous routine you've adopted as "life."

The title track follows, burning through riffs and plodding under a Dax Riggs-esque vocal. As stoner elements jack up, the murk is dusted with quick grit for more than a textural departure. In fact, Lothorian begin sounding more like themselves as they expand their scope. The rhythmic crunch promised earlier is not only maintained, it's amplified. But as licks split away from first gear, Lothorian are busy crawling into the back of your head, digging for a place to fester.

The album hits its gait on Atmosphere and Doomsday Calling. There's no denying the fuzz, but doctors couldn't have warned of the immediate burning sensation. Atmosphere's stomp meets a cavernous cathedral vocal that serves as the male counterpart to Monarch's Emilie Bresson. The echoes and reverberations welcome the Electric Wizard-influence of Doomsday Calling. This seven-minute crusher holds a massive fucking Supercoven-inspired structure with doom strokes atop a foundation that can't be shaken. The song's bleak outlook is embraced while nooks and crannies are filled with nuance and lost hope. When the tempos lift, your greasy mane is blown back by Lothorian's second wind.

Unpredictable pacing on Cult is only part of the track's appeal. A return to the promise of sludge/doom form, these moments are the album's most dense and decadent. Drumwork is showcased, and how these riffs don't trip over their own thickness is an exercise in brilliance. As the sludge staggers, giants stomp out a village fire they clearly started. The riffage continues with Shallow Ground, a closer breeding an underlying accessibility through solid structure. We're taken on a sticky sway, locked in and slugged straight into our dullest senses. Your brain is rattled, your skull is scraped and caked. And you're sure to hit repeat and go right back for more.

Welldweller isn't gonna do anyone any good unless it's played LOUD. Whether it's filtered through a soundsystem or some mangled ear buds doesn't matter, really. The crushing weight of every note deserves your engrossment. Your girlfriend's gonna bitch about the footprints on the carpet. But did you really expect her to be understanding? Lothorian blend elements well-enough to clip a ring through your nose and drag you at varying speeds through the dark and the dirty. Thank you, sir! May I have another?

Bandcamp | Facebook | Acid Cosmonaut | Buy It!

New Band To Burn One To: ATOMIC VULTURE

HEAVY PLANET presents...ATOMIC VULTURE!

BAND BIO:

Atomic Vulture is an instrumental stoner rock outfit from Bruges, Belgium.
Originally a four-piece stoner rock formation, they chose not to replace their singer, when he left the band in September 2011.

In June 2012, the trio recorded their first demo EP. Released late July 2012, the EP was embraced by the stoner audience and the band's fan base grew rapidly.
Brace yourself for some uncompromised desert grooves in the tradition of 7Zuma7,Gomer Pyle & the almighty Kyuss.

At the end of 2012, the band made deals with Humid Records (US) for digital music distribution and with DDrop Recordings (Greece) for CD production and distribution.
At the same time, the trio went back to the studio and recorded their second EP, "Planet Emerald", which was released on Jan 10 2013.


BAND MEMBERS

Jelle Galle : Bass
Pascal David : Guitar
Jens Van Hollebeke : Drums

THOUGHTS:
"Some of you may be familiar with the Atomic Vulture's first EP released back in July 2012, if not, let us introduce you to the band by way of their latest EP "Planet Emerald". Atomic Vulture is a three-piece instrumental stoner rock band from Brujes, Belgium. Starting of with a low and soft warm tone, the band eventually cresendos into a dropped-heavy groove on the opener "Space Rat". Thrust into space on the tail of a comet and arriving on Planet Emerald you are greeted by a ominous doom riff that slaps you right in the face. The "Missing Link" is a tune filled with swirling grooves, psychedelic solos, and furious drum fills. EP closer "Emerald" is a blast to the past and clearly my favorite song on the EP. The song has a very retro feel and is filled with levitating riffs hovering around a wallowing bass line. Unfortunately it had to come to an end. I look forward to hearing more from these three desert doom merchants. In the meantime, check out the band's two EPs on their Bandcamp page."
Athens-based upstart label D-Drop Recordings will have both "Planet Emerald" and "Demo 2012" out on CD in March 2013. The demo CD will contain two songs not on the Bandcamp digital download version of the release. Check out these songs "Outer Universe" and "King Size Slim"on the D-Drop You Tube channel.
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New Band To Burn One To: LOTHORIAN

Heavy Planet presents... LOTHORIAN!

Today's "New Band To Burn One To" comes to you from Limburg, Belgium

Band Bio:

Lothorian is a three-piece Stoner/Doom/Sludge band from the lowlands of Belgium. The band started in august of 2011, with the intention of making something new and special. The sound they create is a mix of heavy, groovy riffs with a dirty sound to make it an atmospheric whole.

The guitarist (Thomas Francot) and the drummer (Jurgen Martens), go way back in playing together in numerous bands. Before they played together, Thomas played the guitar in a Metalcore and a Hardcore band. Jurgen played the drums in a Metal band. In the fall of 2010 they started a band called “Midnight Rambler.” Playing some rock-‘n’-roll. Everything went well untill the summer of 2011. There were some issues and Thomas had to leave, making place for a new guitar player. After that there were some more issues and Jurgen left the band. Now Thomas and Jurgen started playing together again, just for fun. At the same time, Thomas was playing the guitar in a Hardcore band with Jeroen Op ’t Roodt, (his first band) where he played bass. This is how Jurgen came in contact with Jeroen and the dice was rolling.

Before Lothorian, there was another project called “Natural Born Killers” a six-piece Stoner Rock band who played instrumental music. This never became a real band due to other priorities and other bands the members were playing in. So Thomas, Jeroen and Jurgen were the only ones left. Continuing playing Stoner Rock.

Lothorian was born. Playing Stoner, Doom and Sludge combined. The only thing they needed was a singer. At one of the First rehearsals, Jurgen tried to combine drumming and singing and it sounded alright. Thomas also sang and they now both share the vocal part of the songs.

They’re just finished with recording their debut album called “Welldweller” at Safehaven Recordings in January of 2012. The album contains six own songs. Mostly playing shows in their home town, Maaseik, they received good comments on their music.


Lothorian-Witchhunt

Thoughts:

"As the putrid stench fills the air and smoke billows around your head you can hear the doom-laden Stoner/Sludge metal provided by Lothorian. Thick fuzzy riffs cut through the thickening fog as your are guided into a remarkable land of superior heaviness. The repetitious groove will be embedded into your mind forever. Take heed, this is Lothorian!"

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New Band To Burn One To (Morning Buzz): Naughty Mouse

The Morning Buzz edition of "New Band To Burn One To" today is Naughty Mouse.

Bio:

Naughty Mouse are the sons of Elvis Presley, Kyuss and the Stooges. Rock by nature, their live performances are full of energy and excitement. There is certainly a dark undercurrent flowing through their music, as well as harmonies and driving riffs, but most of it, the groove is dancing all along. In between "desert rock" and some kind of "stoner rock", Naughty Mouse creates its own personal sound and at the end stays the word "rock". And that's what it is!

Naughty Mouse's music is pure, energetic, groove-based desert rock. Heavily influenced by the likes of Kyuss and Queens of the Stone Age, this Belgium band knows one thing and that is how to rock. Fuzzy and infectious. Crank it up!

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