Flashback Friday - Comes with the Fall

You know, Flashback Friday has become a sort of on again, off again affair for me as a writer here at Heavy Planet.  Every so often, I just get that urge to dig back into my record collection, wipe away the dust, and groove out to the shit that got me here.  Today just happens to be one of those days and it all started with me spinning the latest Alice in Chains album, The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here.  You see, I'm a huge fan of that band, both the past (with Layne Staley) and the present (with William DuVall), and one of the things I really admire about them is how gracefully they dealt with the death of the former while still maintaining their core sound and vision with the latter.  But Alice in Chains isn't who I'm here to talk about today.  Instead I'd like to revisit the band that led Mr. DuVall into the ranks of of that esteemed rock and roll franchise and catapulted the career of another musician (drummer Bevan Davies) into another.  Today I'd like to talk about Comes with the Fall.      

To begin, we need to rewind to 1992 in Atlanta, Georgia where it all started with the dissolution of DuVall's art-pop/jazz-rock project No Walls.  Perhaps looking for a simpler outlet for his musical vision, the singer/guitarist joined up with Davies, guitarist Nico Constantine and bassist Jeffrey Blount, to form…of all things…a glam-pop band.  This lineup released two records in the mid-to-late 90's under the moniker Madfly before Blount decided to leave.  Upon finding their new bassist in Adam Stanger, the band abruptly changed their name and more importantly their sound and alas, in 1999, Comes with the Fall was born.

Within a year, the new band had written and recorded their self-titled debut, which was a noticeably heavier, darker effort that combined massive riffs, powerful vocals and virtuosic melodies (give a listen to "The Three Wishes"…hell, give a listen to any of it).  Needless to say, things were most definitely happening and on the brink of album number two, Comes with the Fall decided to relocate to Los Angeles in an effort to further the reach of their music…a decision that would ultimately pay off through their friendship and eventual collaborations with Jerry Cantrell.  

But first, the band released their sophomore record The Year is One, which they had recorded as a three-piece after the departure of Constantine in 2001.  The album built on the foundation that the band had established with their debut and received acclaim and praises from most who heard it, to include the aforementioned Jerry Cantrell.  If you listen, it's easy to hear not only the voice, but also the incredible guitar work that would eventually put DuVall front and center with Alice in Chains.  In fact, Cantrell was so impressed with Comes with the Fall at that point, that he subsequently invited them to not only open for him on his 2001/2002 tour in support of his solo record Degradation Trip, but to also pull double duty by performing as his backing band.  

A live album (Live 2002) was recorded during the tour and released later that year, but it would be the last output from Comes with the Fall for quite some time.  In 2003, Bevan Davies would be the first member of the band to be "recruited" for lack of a better word, scoring a high profile gig as the drummer in Danzig (he would go on to play on that band's 2004 album Circle of Snakes).  Then, in 2006 DuVall was asked to play a series of benefit shows and eventually a full tour as the fill-in vocalist/guitarist for Alice in Chains.  Throughout all of this success, both he and Davies maintained their status as members of Comes with the Fall however, releasing The Reckoning EP in 2006 and another full length, Beyond the Last Light in 2007.

By 2008, DuVall's status in Alice in Chains was solidified and the following year that band released the excellent Black Gives Way to Blue, with him on vocals.  The always busy Bevan Davies sat in for short stints with Static-X and Bloodsimple, before teaming up with Bloodsimple bassist Kyle Sanders and former Torche guitarist Juan Montoya to form another Heavy Planet favorite, MonstrO (whose debut album was produced by none other than William DuVall).  As for bassist Adam Stanger…he was last heard playing in a band called The Young Royals.  

To my knowledge, Comes with the Fall has never officially disbanded, so there's hope that we'll still hear new music from the trio.  With that said, you should certainly seek out any of the albums (as well as the EP) that I've mentioned in this piece, if for no other reason than to sample a band with so much talent that they were literally picked apart by their peers.  Enjoy.

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Flashback Friday - Mindfunk

Alright, here’s the scenario.  I was sitting around having one of those music geek conversations with my buddies here in the virtual offices of Heavy Planet.  You know those hypothetical, scenario type discussions where you fantasize about which bands, past or present, that you’d put on the bill of your very own music festival?  C’mon, don’t act like you’ve never done this.  I mean who hasn’t dreamed of watching the original lineup of Kyuss open for the original lineup of Sabbath while the sounds of Fu Manchu waft over the hill from the second stage just a few hundred feet away?  

But back to the topic at hand…hypothetical, imaginary concert lineups…got it?  Good.  So it was during said conversation that I got the inspiration for this edition of Flashback Friday.  You see, when our Heavy Planet head honcho included Mindfunk in the lineup for his…Reg-a-palooza, I had myself one hell of a bout of nostalgia.  This was a band that had blown my mind some twenty years ago when my then teenage self would stay up all hours of the night watching Headbanger’s Ball (Jesus I’m old) and rocking out to videos like the one for their song “Big House Burning,” which was in heavy rotation at that time.  Straddling the line between quirky, off-beat funk and distortion laced metal…think Faith No More meets Soundgarden…Mindfunk were one of the first bands to scratch the surface of the mainstream, while managing to jettison the silliness of 80’s pop metal in favor of a more sinister, more real message, vibe and perhaps most importantly sound.

A sort of musical mutt, for lack of a better term, the band featured members from a number of other semi-well known acts.  Vocalist Patrick Dubar had previously performed in the straight edge, hardcore band Uniform Choice.  Guitarist Louis Svitek (who would eventually join Ministry) had played together with bassist John Monte in the seminal NYC thrash band M.O.D., and both Monte and guitarist Jason Coppola spent time in another 80’s thrash band, Chemical Waste.  And perhaps most notable for Heavy Planet readers, drummer Reed St. Mark was known for his stint in pioneering black/doom metal band Celtic Frost.  To say that this was an eclectic bunch of musicians would be quite the understatement, and the batch of songs that would end up on their first album serves as confirmation of that sonic diversity.      

Beginning life under the moniker Mind Fuck, the band was quickly scooped up by major label Sony/Epic and then just as quickly forced to change their “offensive” name prior to the 1991 release of their self-titled debut…ergo Mind Funk.  Listening to the album now, it’s interesting to hear the last vestige of 80’s extravagance (take a listen to the pseudo-ballad “Sister Blue”) give way to the gloomy heaviness that defined the 90’s grunge era (listen to “Woke up this Morning”).  Just check out a song like “Bring It On” or “Blood Runs Red” where the band combines the funky fun of early Red Hot Chili Peppers with gargantuan riffs and equally weighty lyrical content.  Mind Funk’s debut album, while perhaps a bit dated in 2013, is an aural time capsule of the transitional musical period from which it spawned and for that reason alone is worthy of your attention.

Unfortunately, it failed to move an acceptable number of units in the eyes of the band’s label and on the eve of the release of their follow-up album, the newly named Mindfunk (one word versus two) were unceremoniously dropped.  By this point in time, a slight name change wasn’t the only alteration to the band as guitarist Jason Coppola and drummer Reed St. Mark were replaced by Jason Everman (of Nirvana and Soundgarden fame) and Shawn Johnson respectively.  Unfaltering, the new lineup proceeded to land on their feet by inking a deal with Megaforce Records, who subsequently released the band’s 1993 sophomore effort, which was aptly titled Dropped.  The album, which was produced by the legendary Terry Date (Soundgarden, Pantera), showed the band evolving beyond the funk influences heard on their debut and gravitating more towards the distortion laden grooves and sludgy riffs of grunge.  You’d do well to give a listen to this one, especially tracks like “Goddess,” “Mama, Moses and Me” and “11 Ton Butterfly,” as it definitively fits the mold of what Heavy Planet is all about. 

Prior to recording the follow-up however, both John Monte and Jason Everman would leave the band, the latter rumored to have joined the Army Special Forces of all things.  After filling the void at bass with Frank Ciampi, the band soldiered on as a four-piece and eventually headed back into the studio to record what would be their third and final album.  People Who Fell from the Sky was released in 1995 by the Music for Nations label, however it wasn’t made available in the US and is, as a result, a difficult album to get your hands on (for those of us here in the States at least).  While somewhat disjointed and less cohesive than its predecessor, undoubtedly due to the significant turnover in personnel, the album retained much of the heavy groove that Mindfunk had zeroed in on with Dropped and its worth checking out if you like what you hear on the other two.

Look, I’d be remiss if I didn’t remind you that the point of these features is to introduce you, the Heavy Planet reader, to bands from the past that paved the way to what we’re listening to today.  Mindfunk were undoubtedly just such a band.  Their combination of hardcore sensibilities, funky rhythms and grinding guitars helped to thrust heavy music away from the hairspray and fluff of the 80’s and into the grit and grime of the 90’s.  So that's your history lesson for today...now get on that homework and go get your mind fucked...err...funked.  

Flashback Friday - Sugartooth

Well it's been awhile since I put together a Flashback Friday feature, but when Reg sent out the Heavy Planet distress beacon due to other commitments, I decided it was as good a time as any to get back on that horse and ride it. Just as a reminder, this is a feature with the sole purpose of introducing…or perhaps re-introducing…you to a band from yesteryear who I feel are and/or were tragically under appreciated. As always, I encourage you to seek out all of the FF artists, give a listen for yourself and join me in my nostalgic trip down musical memory lane.

The subject for today's Flashback Friday is none other than the SoCal riff-mongers known as Sugartooth. Unfortunately, this is a band that never really had much of a chance given the fickle nature of the music industry…especially back in their day. You see, Sugartooth just happened to have a sound that fit the flavor du jour back in the early 90's…a time when record labels were shitting their pants to sign anyone who claimed Sabbath as an influence. And who could blame them? What with the overwhelming success of albums like Soundgarden's Badmotorfinger, heavy riffs and soaring vocals were nothing if not a fucking cash cow.

As a result, Sugartooth were snatched up by the capital hungry Capitol Records faster than they could say "grunge". Apparently however, the suits at Capitol didn't approve of the songs the band had written for their self-titled debut album and subsequently released the band from their contract. Enter the mighty David Geffen Company (DGC) who, despite being just as money hungry as their counterparts, at least had the stones to put the record out. The result was a monstrous collection of groove heavy blues that took Sabbath worship to a whole new level.

Featuring the dual guitar attack of Marc Hutner (also the vocalist) and Timothy Michael Gruse, and the rhythm section of bassist Josh Blum and drummer Joey Castillo (who you probably know from his stints in Queens of the Stone Age, Eagles of Death Metal and Danzig to name a few), the band's sound was so thick, you could chew it. If you can track down this hidden gem from 1994, give a listen to songs like "Cracks in the Pavement" and "Sheffield Milestone" for examples of Sugartooth's monolithic heaviness inflected with their distinctive nod to the blues. With moderate radio and MTV support for the song "Sold My Fortune" off the debut album, Sugartooth's stock seemed to be rising and the band subsequently landed gigs with the likes of Slayer, Stone Temple Pilots and…of course…Soundgarden.

However, by the time they would ready themselves for album number two, both Castillo and Gruse would be out of the fold. Hutner and Blum employed a drum machine before eventually welcoming the talents of Dusty Watson (Rhino Bucket, Dick Dale) on drums and soldiering on as a three piece. With legendary production duo, The Dust Brothers (Beastie Boys, Beck) on board, the band unveiled a sound that was decidedly less dark and more funky…I'm talking samples from Dolemite funky…on their 1997 followup album The Sounds of Solid. The album retained some of the heavy groove from the debut (take a listen to "Come On In"), but ultimately was an eclectic mashup of stoner rock and dance grooves that made those Sabbath comparisons a stretch. Now the Sugartooth sound had a beat…and you could dance to it!

Realizing The Sounds of Solid may not be for everyone, I still recommend that you check it out. Given that the album was released 15 years ago, it's amazing how innovative it sounds today…in fact, I'd go so far as to throw out that old cliche…it was ahead of its time. But unfortunately, the sophomore record failed to move enough units, and as a result, the band decided to call it a day. Regardless, for those who were fortunate enough to hear Sugartooth back in the 90's, their legacy was cemented long ago. But for those who are just hearing about them for the first time here in this edition of Flashback Friday…well to take a page out of Dolemite's book...let me tell you 'bout the bad muthafuckas called Sugartooth.

Flashback Friday - Scissorfight

The following is a quote from the introduction to a 2002 interview with Scissorfight, conducted by the website Chronicles of Chaos (www.chroniclesofchaos.com). “If you like beer, cheap women, bar fights, hunting, giving the middle finger, dirty sex, camping, pissing in the woods, Ted Nugent, gross humor, swearing, biker gangs, leather, brass knuckles, Motorhead, ignoring authority, facial hair, poor hygiene, Clutch, driving long highway stretches, drugs, tattoos and loud music, then New Hampshire’s shit-kicking, heavy rock act Scissorfight is just what you need.” And if you’re at all familiar with this band, then you know how true that quote actually is.

Scissorfight got their start in Portsmouth, New Hampshire back in 1995 when guitarist Jay Fortin (who would become better known for using stage names like Geezum H. Crow, Octocock and Fuck You), bassist Paul Jarvis and drummer Joel Muzzey started playing music together. In need of a vocalist, they eventually recruited a wooly mammoth of a man by the name of Ironlung to “stand there and look scary”. Before long, the band would relocate to Boston, where the unpredictable nature of their live shows would immediately garner attention and eventually contribute to a rather notorious reputation within the local music scene. According to their bio, during one such performance, Ironlung dislocated his shoulder and to the horror of those in attendance, spent the entire show attempting to knock it back into place. It was during this initial period in Boston that Muzzey decided that Scissorfight was not for him. Fortunately, the band didn’t have to look too far to find a replacement, as Ironlung’s brother, Kevin J. Strongbow would step in to fill the role.

A year later, with their lineup intact and plenty of shows under their belt, Scissorfight entered the studio and recorded their debut album Guaranteed Kill. The disc featured the band’s signature mix of down tuned groove, inane subject matter (e.g. “Supervirgin vs. Death Machine”, “Planet of Ass”) and Ironlung’s garbled growl. The album garnered three nominations for the 1997 Boston Music Awards, one of which Scissorfight took home. More gigs up and down the East coast followed, and in 1998, the band recorded their second album Balls Deep which expanded upon its predecessor with songs like “Stove by a Whale” and the fan favorite “The Gibbetted Captain Kidd”, leading to positive press in the media and Scissorfight’s first real taste of recognition outside of New England.

On the heels of this success, the band signed with independent label Tortuga Recordings for their next album, 1999’s New Hampshire, which was a brash, rock n’ roll homage to their home state and its motto “Live Free or Die”. With this release, the accolades and recognition continued to roll in, with the band appearing in a “You Hear it First” spot on MTV and MTV2 as well as scoring a high profile slot on the side stage of the 2000 Boston River Rave Festival which featured household names like Stone Temple Pilots and Godsmack. To keep their growing legion of fans satisfied, later that same year Scissorfight released an EP titled Piscataqua which featured two original tracks alongside covers of tunes by the Dead Kennedys, GG Allin, the Dwarves, Aerosmith and Nervous Eaters.

A year later, the band released their fourth full length, Mantrapping for Sport and Profit, featuring the classic cuts “New Hampshire’s All Right if You Like Fighting” and “Blizzards, Buzzards, and Bastards”. Then in 2002, they began their conquest of Europe by releasing American Cloven Hoof Blues, an album featuring a mix of new songs and re-recorded versions of some of their classics, the idea of which was to give the folks across the pond a taste of what they’d been missing. Over the next few years, Scissorfight would keep busy through incessant touring, slowing down now and again to feed their fans with new music by way of two EP releases, 2002’s Potential New Agent for Unconventional Warfare and 2003’s Deathchants, Breakdowns and Military Waltzes Vol. 2. They were honored with the “Best Hard Rock Band” award at the Boston Music Awards two years running (2003/2004). And in 2004 the band documented one of their raucous (almost) hometown performances in the live album Instant Live: Middle East – Cambridge, MA 11/13/04.

Scissorfight’s final output would be their 2006 masterpiece Jaggernaut, featuring another of the band’s classic tracks “Victory Over Horseshit”. A subsequent tour of both Europe and the U.S. with Orange Goblin would follow. Unfortunately however, that would be the last we’d hear from the mighty Scissorfight. Paul Jarvis (bass) and Jay Fortin (guitar) would go on to play in a band called Mess With the Bull. Kevin J. Strongbow has supposedly played with Steve Brodsky of Cave In fame. And Ironlung, who never was one to play nice with others, has worked on a solo project he’s dubbed Dead Whale.

To my knowledge, Scissorfight never officially announced a breakup or disbanding, so we can only hope there’s still more self-described “acid mountain rock” to come from the boys from the Granite State. To quote the heavy metal rag Metal Maniacs, “Scissorfight…lay claim on territory made popular by Clutch, Stompbox and even White Zombie by incorporating elements of each in every facet of its output.” If that sounds like something you’d be interested in, then you need to check these guys out…and if it doesn’t…well then what are you doing here?

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Flashback Friday - Slo Burn and Unida

Before I get started with this week’s edition of Flashback Friday, you need to understand something about me. I happen to think that the sub-genres we refer to as “stoner rock” and/or “desert rock” were not only influenced by…but flat out invented by the legendary Kyuss. Furthermore, it is my opinion that no one has yet managed to match the intensity and more importantly, the ingenuity of the four albums released by that band during their brief existence in the early 90's (despite some admittedly amazing attempts by a number of acts throughout the years). It goes without saying then, that I’m also a big fan of all the post-Kyuss projects that spawned from the band’s breakup. Which brings me to this week’s Flashback Friday, which you’ll notice is a little different than usual, as it focuses on...not one...but two bands from yesteryear. The common thread? Both were fronted by former Kyuss vocalist John Garcia following the breakup. Enjoy!

Now Kyuss was known for a lot of things, not the least of which was their heavy, fuzzed-out jams. But another trademark of their sound was the pseudo laid back, yet gruffly masculine rasp of Mr. Garcia. So it should come as no surprise that just months after the Kyuss breakup, the vocalist managed to pull together three like-minded musicians, Chris Hale (guitar), Damon Garrison (bass) and Brady Houghton (drums) to continue making music in the same vein as his former band.

Appropriately dubbing themselves Slo Burn (it doesn’t get much more stoner than that), the new band quickly pulled together a five song demo that ultimately led to the 1997 EP Amusing the Amazing. The four tracks took the colossal riffs and rhythms of Kyuss and stripped away the expansive, meandering jams, resulting in a straight forward, no-frills dose of heavy stoner rock. The EP received overwhelmingly positive press, particularly from fans of Garcia’s previous band, who by then were in utter withdrawal for their desert rock fix. Later that same year, Slo Burn was invited to play the second stage of what was, at the time, a blossoming annual summer event…the metal extravaganza Ozzfest. Unfortunately, that would be the band’s only glimpse of success as they abruptly called it quits almost as quickly as they’d started.


Not one to rest on his laurels, John Garcia immediately got back to work, this time with Arthur Seay on guitar, Miguel Cancino on drums and Dave Dinsmore on bass and in 1999 released a split EP with the Swedish band Dozer, under the name Unida. The EP featured four songs from both bands, the Unida portion of which was titled The Best of Wayne-Gro EP. The sound was unmistakably stoner rock, and somewhat of an extension of Garcia’s Slo Burn project. Later that same year, Unida returned to the studio and recorded their debut full length Coping with the Urban Coyote. The album was (and still is) a collection of some of the most thunderous songs in John Garcia’s impressive repertoire. It is filled with the groove and emotion you should expect from anything with the man’s name attached to it, but keeps that chill vibe that just says “hey man…have a beer”. This is essential stoner rock.

Scott Reeder (ex-Kyuss) would eventually replace Dinsmore on bass for the recording of Unida’s second album The Great Divide, which was scheduled to be released in 2001. Unfortunately record label shakeups would prevent the album from ever seeing the light of day (a common occurrence if you’ve been following along with past Flashback Friday write-ups). The band toured occasionally, with Slipknot’s Paul Gray (R.I.P.) famously filling in on bass in 2003, and Eddie Plascencia filling in on a more permanent basis, but no other albums were ever released and the band remains on hiatus.

The remaining members of Unida, Arthur Seay, Miguel Cancino and Eddie Plascencia went on to form the band House of Broken Promises and released their debut album Using the Useless on Small Stone Records in 2009. John Garcia can now be heard as the vocalist of another stoner rock band, Hermano, a project he’s been involved with since its inception in 1998. To date, the band has released three studio albums and a live album. Garcia was also rumored to have worked on a solo project he’s appropriately labeled Garcia vs. Garcia...so far no recordings have been made available.

And of course the latest buzz on Garcia started in 2010, when he put together a backing band and toured Europe under the guise “John Garcia plays Kyuss”. This led to a now famous set at Hellfest in Clisson, France where the vocalist was joined onstage by former bandmates Nick Oliveri and Brant Bjork to perform the classic Kyuss cuts “Green Machine” and “Gardenia”. Then in November 2010 the three band members announced their plans for a full-on Kyuss reunion (sans Josh Homme) under the name Kyuss Lives!. A new record and more touring are supposedly in the works. One thing is for sure, if John Garcia is involved…that shit will be epic.

That’s your weekly Flashback Friday my friends…you know what to do now…pop open a beer, chill the fuck out and check out some classic stoner rock from Slo Burn and Unida…cheers!

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Flashback Friday - Raging Slab

Back in the early 80's, New York City's music scene was being overrun by a slew of new wave and punk bands, all eager to replicate one another's style in some form or another. There was one band over on the lower East side however, that was blending the genres of Southern rock, punk and metal to create their own unique sound. That band's self described "boogie rock" would propel them to the heights of major label record deals, MTV airplay and a Guitar World magazine piece that would famously describe them as "Lynyrd Skynyrd meets Metallica". That band was Raging Slab.

It all started when Greg Strzempka (vocals/guitar) moved to New York from Washington D.C. and hooked up with slide guitarist Elyse Steinman. Combining their mutual love of punk and 70's styled classic rock, the two immediately began recruiting additional musicians to fill out their new band. In addition to Strzempka and Steinman, the first version of Raging Slab featured Dimitri Brill (guitar), who would later DJ for the dance band Deee-Lite and Kory Clarke (drums), who would go on to form another seminal NYC band, Warrior Soul.

This version of the band would not last long however as both Brill and Clarke would leave to pursue their other music projects. And after a series of lineup changes, Raging Slab would eventually ditch the three guitar attack in favor of two six strings and a bass, played by newcomer Alec Morton. Tim Finefrock took over on drums, however as you'll see, this was a position that would see a good deal of instability for the band throughout their history.

Finally, in 1987, Raging Slab released their debut album, Assmaster on the New Jersey based label Buy Our Records. This collection of songs was a perfect representation of the band's ability to combine mega riffs with Southern rock swagger and 70's soul. And besides the great tunes, the original pressing came with a comic book about the adventures of the album's namesake, penned by a couple of artists from Marvel Comics (how would you like to get your hands on one of those?). Strzempka and company kept the momentum alive by releasing a followup EP titled True Death in 1988 (with Kenny Kness now on drums). Both Assmaster and True Death would be packaged together and re-released in the early 90's under the name Slabbage.

The buzz around the band was beginning to pick up and by late 1988, RCA Records had stepped in and asked them to record a demo. Upon hearing the first few tracks however, the major label quickly signed on for the band to record a true LP. The result was Raging Slab's classic self titled album. For this one, the band added Mark Middleton to the mix on guitar (their second foray into three guitar territory) with drums being handled in part by T.J. Scaglione (formerly of Slayer) and Steve Wacholz (formerly of Savatage). The album was a huge commercial success due in part to the video for the song "Don't Dog Me" which MTV had placed in heavy rotation. This led to subsequent tours with a diverse group of acts including the Ramones, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Molly Hatchet and even the 80's hair band Warrant. Bob Pantella, who would later play with Monster Magnet, played drums on the tour.

In 1990, when it came time for Raging Slab to record their next album, they decided to build their own workspace in rural Pennsylvania (where Strzempka was originally from), aptly naming it Slabby Road studio. With yet another drummer in tow (The Misfits' Brain "Damage" Keats), the band got to work on the record, which they'd dubbed From a Southern Space. Unfortunately when the album was finished, RCA didn't like what they heard and subsequently refused to release it. To let off steam and perhaps give a big fat middle finger to their record label, the Slab took their act back on the road, ultimately scoring a primo opening slot for Guns n' Roses.

Eventually, the band re-entered the studio (this time with Jack Irons of Chili Peppers/Pearl Jam fame on drums) to record an album more to RCA Records' liking. To their dismay, the result, Freeburden, did nothing to change the label's impression and it too was shelved. Needless to say, the band was devastated. Fortunately, uber-producer Rick Rubin disagreed with RCA's assessment and proceeded to buy out the remainder of Raging Slab's contract, bringing them over to the ever growing roster of his Def Jam record label.

Raging Slab quickly got to work on yet another album, this time enlisting producer Brendan O'Brien (Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots) along with string arrangements courtesy of former Led Zeppelin (and current Them Crooked Vultures) bassist John Paul Jones. The result was the 1993 masterpiece Dynamite Monster Boogie Concert, a true testament to Strzempka's songwriting ability, to the band's resilience and to their absolute ass kicking rock n roll. And although that album didn't sell nearly as well as their self titled, it did manage to spawn another hit video on MTV, earning praises from even the channel's biggest critics…Beavis and Butthead.

After a tour through Europe (with another drummer…Paul Sheehan) and more high profile Stateside shows with Monster Magnet and Lenny Kravitz, Raging Slab readied themselves to record their followup for Def Jam (which had become Def American by that time). In 1995, the band was all set to release Black Belt in Boogie, when…to their surprise, Rubin of all people pulled an RCA and refused to release it. Disheartened and frustrated, Mark Middleton quit the band. The rest of Raging Slab pulled up their bootstraps and went back into the studio to try yet again. Sing Monkey, Sing! was the result and the frustration could be heard throughout its thirteen tracks, which were hindered by poor production and unmemorable songs.

At that point, Rubin essentially cut ties with the band. However, due to contractual obligations, Raging Slab was unable to release material on any other label until 2000…their hands were tied. In the meantime, they played live shows and began recording songs for what would eventually be their next album…and of course, their rotation of drummers continued, first with Phil Ondich (who would leave to join Black Label Society), then with Dale Crover (from the Melvins) and finally with Rob Cournoyer (who was recommended by Warren Haynes of Allman Brothers/Gov't Mule fame).

Then in 2001, Raging Slab signed on with New York City stoner label Tee Pee Records and released The Dealer. The album was a proper return to their "boogie rock" form and it harkened back to their old school Assmaster days. But the band's luck had not changed as their planned European tour to support the album had to be postponed due to their flight out of the States being scheduled on…of all days, September 11, 2001.

Raging Slab recorded one more album for Tee Pee Records, the title of which goes a long way towards relaying the frustration experienced throughout their music career…Raging Slab (Pronounced 'Eat Shit'). The band did make it over to Europe to tour for this one, but it would ultimately prove to be their last. Strzempka went on to join members of Swedish stoner rockers Backdraft in the band Odin Grange. And in 2004, he, Elyse Steinman and Backdraft drummer Niklas Matsson and bassist Mats Rydström joined together for a U.S. tour as Raging Slab, but no new music has seen the light of day.

If you haven't done so already, I encourage you to check out this unique, genre-blending band. To take nothing away from the current crop of 70's worshipping, throwback bands who are tearing it up today, Raging Slab was doing that shit about 25 years ago. Their mix of classic Southern rock and punk attitude has certainly stood the test of time. So here's what I want you to do…I want you to crank up your damn speakers, throw on some Slab and go get your boogie rock on!

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Flashback Friday - Sixty Watt Shaman

Damn man…what ever happened to Sixty Watt? I find myself asking that question pretty much every time I fire up one of their stellar, stoner rock masterpieces. If you’ve never heard these guys, then you are abso-fucking-lutely missing out on some of the heaviest, grittiest, flat out most bad ass rock n roll of the new millennium.

The band got their start sometime around 1996 in Baltimore, Maryland when Dan Kerzwick (vocals/guitar), Joe Selby (guitar), Chuck Dukehart (drums) and Jim Forrester (bass), merged two other bands, Approach and Supercreep, to form a sort of mid-Atlantic super group. The guys settled on the rather unique moniker, Sixty Watt Shaman, by combining the stories swirling around two of rock n' roll's biggest legends…Jim Morrison, who was known as the electric shaman…and Jimi Hendrix, who once performed using a 60 watt amp that was specially built for him. The band employed countless jam sessions, tireless touring and a furious work ethic, which led to the release of their first full length record, Ultra Electric, in 1998 on independent label Game Two Records.

Being part of a tight knit stoner rock community, Sixty Watt quickly became buds with other notable Maryland acts, such as Clutch (from Germantown, Maryland) and Spirit Caravan (Scott "Wino" Weinrich's project from Potomac, Maryland). Subsequent opening slots for The Bakerton Group (Clutch side project) and the aforementioned Spirit Caravan helped to build a considerable buzz around the band, culminating in a showcase for Spitfire Records in New York City. Holding nothing back, Sixty Watt gave the industry reps in attendance a taste of their intensity and were ultimately awarded a record deal on the spot.

The result was the now classic 2000 album Seed of Decades, which was produced by none other than Jean-Paul Gaster (Clutch drummer). The record was an absolute kick in the teeth, combining classic rock swagger (think Zeppelin and AC/DC) with a stoner vibe (I'll go with Sabbath and Clutch). Throw in the gravelly, whisky drenched vocals of Kerzwick and you've got yourself a true masterpiece. Put it this way…over ten years after its release, I still have this one in heavy rotation.

More high profile tours followed with bands ranging from Zack Wylde's alcohol fueled Black Label Society (a perfect fit for Sixty Watt in my opinion) to sludge-mongers Crowbar and Southern metallers Corrosion of Conformity. Then in 2002, Sixty Watt saw a lineup change as Dukehart left the band to be replaced on drums by Pete Campbell just prior to recording their followup for Spitfire Records. For this one, another heavy hitter was brought in to produce, namely Scott Reeder of Kyuss/The Obsessed fame.

The resulting album Reason to Live was another absolute classic. This one took the astonishing combination of old and new that was first heard on Seed of Decades and expanded on it. Fans of classic rock, southern rock, stoner rock and even metal could find something to love about Reason to Live. More touring followed, including a jaunt through Europe with Karma to Burn and the band seemed as though they'd found a niche and were on the cusp of becoming a cornerstone of the stoner rock genre.

But alas that was not to be. After touring for Reason to Live wrapped up, Kerzwick (who by then had changed his last name to Soren) moved to Oklahoma for reasons that are unknown to this writer…a move that ultimately spelled the end of Sixty Watt Shaman. Since their demise, some of the band members have gone on to pursue other musical ventures including The Mighty Nimbus (Kerzwick/Soren and Pete Campbell), The Devil You Know (Forrester), Angels of Meth (Forrester) and Stillhouse (Kerzwick/Soren and Selby). A few reunion shows were played in Baltimore in 2006/2007, but otherwise, the band remains on permanent hiatus.

If you're reading this and you've never heard Seed of Decades or Reason to Live, I can guarantee you that you are missing two vital pieces of stoner rock history. Both albums are essential to the genre and elements of them can be heard in the music of countless other bands to this day. So be sure to put Sixty Watt Shaman at the top of your list of bands that you need to track down…I promise, you'll thank me later.

"Fill my lungs with rock n' roll…seed of decades…rock n' roll!"

My Space|last.fm|Buy Here

Flashback Friday - Nebula

I'm quite sure that most Heavy Planet readers are already well aware of Nebula. But since the band officially called it quits just over a year ago, I figure its high time (see what I did there?) they get their very own Flashback Friday feature. So if you're already familiar with this power trio who seamlessly blended 60's psychedelia, 70's riffage, 80's punk and 90's grunge into a cosmic concoction of stoner rock goodness, then this should be a fun little refresher course. For those of you not familiar with them…prepare to be enlightened.

Nebula got their start back in 1997 when Eddie Glass (guitars/vocals) and Ruben Romano (drums) split from legendary SoCal stoner outfit Fu Manchu to explore their own musical direction. At that time, the Fu's had just released what was, in my personal opinion, their finest album, 1996's In Search Of…. Despite that fact, both Glass and Romano expressed personal and musical differences with Fu head honcho Scott Hill and ultimately decided to head out on their own. The duo teamed up with Mark Abshire (bass), himself a Fu Manchu vet, having played on the band's 1994 debut album No One Rides For Free, and alas Nebula was born.

The newly formed band got right to work on what would become their first EP Let it Burn, which they released in 1998. The songs featured a much more fluid, jam-based, psychedelic sound than the straight up wall of fuzz that was Fu Manchu. And that sound would be expanded upon on two additional EP releases, Sun Creature and a split with fellow stoner rockers Lowrider, both of which were released in 1999. In 2002, both of these EPs would be combined with three new songs and re-released by MeteorCity Records under the name Dos EPs. Before eventual lineup changes began to occur, this original version of the band would also record two full length albums, their 1999 debut To the Center and its 2001 followup Charged. Both are considered by many to be staples in the stoner rock genre as they're chock full of big drums, even bigger riffs, roaring guitar solos, a shitload of feedback and Eddie Glass' super chill vocal style.

But lest you think Nebula was just a studio sensation, I should mention that they were probably best known for their incessant touring, for being true road warriors and for flat out stealing the show from a very impressive roster of headliners. Just ask anyone who had an opportunity to see these guys how visceral the experience was. And the sheer number of shows they played was astounding! From the time of the band's formation in 1997 to the release of Charged in 2001, Nebula had played literally hundreds of shows, sharing the stage with a virtual who's who from the stoner rock, doom and grunge genres…including Clutch, Corrosion of Conformity, Sixty Watt Shaman, The Atomic Bitchwax, Mudhoney and Orange Goblin just to name a few.

Prior to the release of their next album Atomic Ritual, Mark Abshire left the band and was replaced by Simon Moon on the bass. For Ritual, the band enlisted the services of desert rock legend Chris Goss for production duties and the results were fantastic. The album was praised by critics and fans alike, leaving Nebula with no other choice than to take the show back on the road. The Atomic Ritual tour again led to some impressive opening slots, none more notable than the Clutch/Mastodon tour of 2004 (a tour that also included Hidden Hand and Suplecs).

That same year, the band experienced another lineup shift as Moon was replaced on the bass with self-described "English geezer" Tom Davies. 2006 saw the band release another full length album, Apollo, which still maintained the SoCal desert rock essence for which Nebula had become known, but also saw the band delving into more classic 70's rock territory. Gone was the heavy guitar crunch in favor of a more atmospheric sound. More touring followed (of course), including a high profile jaunt through Europe with The Sword.

The following year saw the lineup changes continue, as drummer and founding member Ruben Romano left the band. Fortunately, Rob Oswald of Karma to Burn and Mondo Generator fame quickly stepped in to fill his seat and the new lineup did…what else…tour! Finally, in 2008 Nebula settled back into the studio to record what would ultimately be their final album, Heavy Psych. As the name suggests, this one saw the band delving heavily into psychedelic territory, not something they had altogether shunned in the past, but never their primary focus either.

On the ensuing tour, by the time the band made it as far as Baltimore, Oswald had decided he'd had enough. Being true road warriors and absolutely refusing to cancel a show, Nebula contacted their buddy Adam Kriney that very night about filling in on drums for the rest of the tour. The drummer subsequently packed his kit into a U-Haul trailer and drove overnight from his home in New Jersey to meet the band for their show the very next evening. No less than 24 hours after losing their drummer, Nebula took the stage at The Black Cat in Washington DC as the headliners on a bill that included fellow stoners Naam and psyche rockers The Entrance Band. The date was August 25th, 2009…I know because I was there. As the band walked onstage, Tom Davies quickly informed the crowd of the situation…that instead of canceling the gig, they'd rather struggle through the five or six songs that their new drummer had spent all day (after driving all night) trying to learn, just to make sure their fans got to see what they'd paid to see.

Kriney stuck with Nebula for the rest of the tour…the ultimate pinch hitter in music terms. In February 2010, the band introduced their new permanent drummer Jimmy Sweet, but no more than a month after that announcement, Nebula broke up. I have to say that I've seen more shows in my lifetime than I can even begin to recount and I can think of dozens that were unbelievable, unforgettable and just flat out amazing for various reasons. With that said, never have I seen anything like what I saw back in August of 2009 when Nebula took the stage with an unseasoned drummer…Eddie Glass literally coaching the man through the songs as the band played! That story should tell you all you need to know about Nebula. I'm grateful that I got to witness them in all their glory that one time…even if they were essentially a man down. If you haven't done so already, do yourself a favor and check out what was truly one of the hardest working bands in this genre we call stoner rock.

Buy Here|My Space|Website

Flashback Friday - 13th Floor Elevators

For this week’s Flashback Friday, we’re gonna go way back. The year was 1965 to be exact and the band was the 13th Floor Elevators, pioneers of the psychedelic rock scene that was only just beginning to blossom at that time. It all started in Austin, Texas where a college student named Tommy Hall began to expound upon his notion that a combination of music and mind altering drugs (most notably LSD) could assist in the exploration, expansion and evolution of the mind and spirit. Before long, through mutual friends and acquaintances, he was introduced to Stacy Sutherland (guitar), John Ike Walton (drums) and Benny Thurman (bass) who had already been playing music together in a band called The Lingsmen. The four joined together with Hall playing, of all things, an electric jug, and the only thing that was missing was a singer. Enter Roky Erickson.

At that time, Erickson was already honing his signature yelp as the frontman for another Austin based band called the Spades. Being fans of his vocal style, Tommy Hall and company immediately approached him about joining their new project. Alas, Erickson agreed and the 13th Floor Elevators were born. The name of the band was an obvious reference to the non-existent floor in most high-rise buildings and an allusion to altered perception.

By late 1966, the band had recorded a new version of the song “You’re Gonna Miss Me”, which had already been a local hit for the Spades, and it was released by International Artists Records. The song subsequently became a moderate nationwide hit, allowing the band to tour outside their native Texas for the first time and ultimately leading to an appearance on Dick Clark’s television show American Bandstand. In fact, the episode is probably best remembered for Erickson’s retort when asked by Clark, “Who’s the head of this band?”, to which he replied “We’re all heads, Dick”.

Later that same year, the 13th Floor Elevators re-entered the studio and famously (or infamously) recorded their debut album The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators while under the influence of LSD. The album combined Erickson’s howl with the philosophical leanings of Hall’s lyrics and eclectic (and thoroughly original) electric jug playing. It also featured an echoing, reverb-laced dual guitar attack courtesy of Erickson and Sutherland that was unheard of at that time. To say the 13th Floor Elevators were ahead of their time back in 1966 would be quite the understatement. And aside from the uniquely trippy music, the band’s debut would be remembered for another thing…its acid drenched liner notes, which openly advocated the drug induced mind expansion that the band themselves relied so heavily on when performing.

Touring for Psychedelic Sounds led to a lengthy visit to San Francisco, where the hippie movement was just getting underway. While there, the band spent time with an old friend and fellow Austin native, Janis Joplin, who is rumored to have mimicked Erickson’s vocal style in her own singing. The band also supposedly had a heavy influence on a couple of other San Fran legends during this period of time…namely, Jefferson Airplane and The Grateful Dead.

Finally, in 1967 the 13th Floor Elevators made their way back to Texas to record album number two…a mistake that would ultimately cost them dearly. During the recording process, the band’s rhythm section was completely overhauled as both Walton (drums) and Thurman (bass) had become increasingly frustrated by what they perceived as mismanagement of the band by International Artists Records. Their replacements were Danny Thomas on drums and Ronnie Leatherman on bass (Leatherman would subsequently leave later that same year to be replaced by Danny Galindo). But despite all of the turmoil, the Elevators managed to finish their second album, Easter Everywhere, and to this day, it is widely regarded as a psychedelic rock masterpiece. Unlike the debut however, the follow-up did not have a commercial breakthrough hit like “You’re Gonna Miss Me”.

Regardless, the band’s biggest misstep had nothing to do with their music, but rather the decision to bring their bohemian, counterculture lifestyle from the relatively safe, hippie-friendly confines of San Francisco back to their ultra-conservative (especially in those days) stomping grounds of Texas. Not long after recording Easter Everywhere, Erickson was arrested for possession of marijuana (this not being his first such offense). And at the ensuing trial, the singer plead not guilty by reason of insanity in an attempt to avoid a prison sentence, a strategy that ultimately landed him in a mental institution where he was reportedly subjected to shock treatments and psychoactive drugs.

In the midst of all this turmoil, the 13th Floor Elevators managed to record a third and final album titled Bull of the Woods prior to Erickson’s sentencing. Given the circumstances, it was primarily the work of Stacy Sutherland with very little input from the singer or from Tommy Hall. Regardless, it still featured the band’s meandering, fuzzed out, psychedelic sounds. The album was released in 1969 after the Elevators had officially disbanded due to the legal (and mental) issues surrounding their singer.

The epilogue to this story is a mixture of tragedy and redemption. In the aftermath of the band’s breakup, Stacy Sutherland also had run-ins with the law due to substance abuse issues, and in 1978 the guitarist was tragically shot and killed by his wife during a supposed domestic dispute. Erickson on the other hand, was released from the mental institution in 1973, but reports indicate he wasn’t quite the same person as the man who was admitted a few years earlier. Despite a notable period of seclusion, he eventually resurfaced in the 80’s and has maintained a steady succession of solo output since, including his most recent album True Love Cast Out All Evil in 2010. In addition, he has performed at a number of major music festivals in recent years including Coachella and South by Southwest. The other members of the band, including Tommy Hall, have kept relatively low profiles in terms of musical output.

It can be argued that the 13th Floor Elevators practically invented psychedelic rock. Listen closely and you can hear their influence in the fuzzed out jams and echo effects employed by bands like Queens of the Stone Age, The Black Angels and countless others. As always, I encourage you to take a listen for yourself. Go on…you just might see what mind exploration is really all about.

My Space|last.fm|Buy Here

Flashback Friday - Fall of Because

Back in 1989, three guys (and a drum machine) from Birmingham, England united to form the seminal industrial metal outfit Godflesh. And while that band is definitely worthy of your time, they are not exactly the focus of this edition of Flashback Friday. No, I’d like to rewind a few years earlier…to a time when the term “industrial“ referred only to factories and mechanics not to a style of heavy music.

The year was 1982 and bassist Ben (G.C.) Green and guitarist Paul Neville had already begun to create an aggressive blend of grindcore and sludge that was mostly unheard of at that time. The duo took the name Fall of Because after the first track off Killing Joke’s legendary 1981 album What's THIS For…!. Eventually they would recruit Napalm Death guitarist Justin Broadrick to join the band as their drummer and vocalist and at that point, their lineup was set.

Fall of Because recorded a demo called Extirpate in 1986 that included the songs “Mighty Trust Krusher” and “Life is Easy”, both of which would later be featured on Godflesh‘s first full length Streetcleaner and “Merciless“, which would appear on their EP of the same name. Unlike the militaristic, mechanized onslaught of that band however, Fall of Because was more organic, more abrasive…more sloppy. Their sound was a crushing, pissed off, sludgy ball of noise that predated even the likes of genre mainstays Acid Bath and Eyehategod.

But not long after recording the demo, Broadrick would leave the band to focus on another interesting project, the stoner/industrial tinged Head of David. His departure was short lived however and in 1988 he contacted Green about reforming their old band. When the reunion occurred, Broadrick decided to return to the guitar (his original instrument in Napalm Death) and the drum machine was incorporated in place of an actual drummer…alas Godflesh was born.

The summation of the Fall of Because era was finally compiled and released in 1999 on the album Life is Easy. Give it a listen and you can hear the ambient noises, the barking vocals and the syncopated riffing that would come to define the industrial metal of Godflesh. However, if you look deep inside the maelstrom, the distinct, lumbering heaviness that would eventually characterize sludge is lurking there within. Go on and check it out for yourself…just…because.

last.fm|Buy Here

Flashback Friday - Chrome Locust

What happens when a couple of punk rockers decide they’d rather play Black Sabbath instead of Black Flag? Well, if you want the answer to that question, then look no further. Chrome Locust was a short lived project made up of old school punks who decided, at least for one album, that sludgy stoner rock was their true calling.

This brief story begins back in 1997 when New York punk band D Generation was in the midst of a vicious touring cycle for their second album No Lunch. Having just finished supporting runs with an array of impressive headliners including the likes of Social Distortion, the Ramones and even KISS, guitarist Richard Bacchus abruptly quit the band. With an opening slot on the Green Day tour in the works, D Generation had no time to waste in seeking out his replacement. Fortunately, they landed Todd Youth, a veteran guitar player who had already earned his stripes playing in legendary hardcore bands Murphy’s Law and Agnostic Front, and they never missed a beat.

This version of D Generation would go on to record their third and final album Through the Darkness in 1999. But more importantly for this story, is the musical collaboration that arose from that final lineup. Around the time that the album was being recorded, drummer Michael Wildwood and newcomer Youth had discovered a mutual affinity for the slower, heavier sounds of stoner rock. The two got together to jam with Youth on vocals and guitar and Wildwood on drums and ultimately they began writing songs. Interestingly enough, the third piece of the puzzle, bassist Jim Heneghan, would come by way of a band called Vasquez, whose singer/guitarist was none other than Richard Bacchus (the guy that Youth had replaced in D Generation). And in the aftermath of D Generation’s eventual demise, Chrome Locust was born.

The band released their debut, self titled album in 1999 on Tee Pee Records and it was exactly what you might expect from a bunch of punk vets playing Sabbath inspired tunes. Slow and heavy in all the right places…abrasive and fast in all the others…the record was a true underground classic. Unfortunately it would be the first and last we would hear from Chrome Locust as Todd Youth would leave later that same year to take a more high profile gig as the guitarist in Danzig. And in an interesting, yet unrelated twist…Michael Wildwood would go on to play drums for space rock legends Monster Magnet on their 2004 album Monolithic Baby!. Thankfully, unlike a lot of my Flashback Friday recommendations, the Chrome Locust album can still be found relatively easily. As always, I strongly recommend that you check out this excellent band whose career was all too brief...take a listen and see for yourself what it is to be a “sludge punk”.

last.fm|Buy Here

Flashback Friday - Sea of Green

I have to admit, due to the similarity in band names, the latest "New Band To Burn One To" feature on Deep Sea Green got me thinking about the great stoner band Sea of Green from the early 00's. I hadn't heard anything from them in years, so I began to do a little research to see what they'd been up to, hoping to find some new music that I had either overlooked or maybe even missed altogether. Instead what I found is that the band is no more and before I even realized it, I had stumbled upon the subject for my latest edition of Flashback Friday. So at the risk of completely confusing everyone, I give you Sea of Green…

The band got their start back in 1999 when bassist Eric Kuthe, drummer Chris Bender and guitarist Travis Cardinal started jamming together in Toronto, Ontario. Combining their love for Black Sabbath, Cream and Pink Floyd with the fuzzed out sounds and chill vibes of the California desert rock scene, the trio crafted a sound that was as heavy as it was psychedelic. In addition to his guitar duties, Cardinal would eventually take on the roll of the band's vocalist and they quickly got started writing material for their first release.

Embracing the genre of stoner rock in more ways than just their sound, the band chose the name Sea of Green, a rather overt reference to a method for growing marijuana (go ahead, punch it into Google and see what comes up). Within a year, the band had recorded and released their first EP, titled Northern Lights (another reference to their obvious drug of choice). These six tracks showcased the massive riffs and trippy vocals that would be expanded upon greatly on their first full length album less than a year later.

Sea of Green wasted no time getting back into the studio, this time hiring the talents of producer Nick Blagona whose previous credits included albums by legends Deep Purple and Nazareth among others. The result was Time to Fly, an album that was as explosive as it was laid back and as heavy as it was groovy. On this one, the west coast, surfer fuzz of Fu Manchu is an obvious influence on Sea of Green's immense sound. See for yourself on tracks like "Women Today" and "End of Eternity". Also notable on Time to Fly is the band's mind altering rendition of Pink Floyd's "Breathe".

The band toured extensively for the album, incorporating enough psychedelic lighting and incense to give their live shows the same vibe purveyed by their music. But by the time they settled down to write and record the followup, drummer Chris Bender had decided to leave the band. Matt Dowd stepped in on drums and Sea of Green got to work on what would unfortunately be their last album.

Chemical Vacation was released in 2003 and it saw the band steering away from the stoner rock for which they'd become known in favor of a more commercial, alt-rock sound, for lack of a better term. The album still maintained a certain level heaviness, but a lot of the 70's vibe was lost in favor of a sound that owed more to 90's era grunge…think Alice in Chains. This is apparent in the review posted right here on Heavy Planet back in 2008, when Chemical Vacation was featured as the "Album of the Day".

More touring followed the release of the album, but Sea of Green never quite received the commercial success that they deserved. For readers of past Flashback Fridays, this should be starting to sound awfully familiar. Like so many others, the frustrations of life in the music biz finally took their toll and the band broke up in 2004.

If you've never listened to Sea of Green, I can almost guarantee you'll like what you hear. Start with Time to Fly, work your way backwards to Northern Lights and then give Chemical Vacation a try. And while you're at it…why not kill two birds with one stone and check out our NBTBOT Deep Sea Green as well…you can't go wrong either way!

My Space|last.fm|Buy Chemical Vacation and Time to Fly Here|Buy Northern Lights Here

Flashback Friday - New Idol Son

In past editions of Flashback Friday, I've touched on the early 90's grunge explosion that spawned so many great artists…some now legendary (Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, et al.) and others just a faded memory. Well this week, I'd like to shed a little light on one of those bands…one that falls squarely into the latter category. This San Francisco quartet had all the right elements in place to succeed and even got a little taste of the big time before they succumbed to the exhaustion and frustration that so often accompanies life in the music industry.

In 1991, the influence of the Seattle music scene, which had seemingly overnight become an alt-rock mecca, was spreading at an exponential rate. So it's no surprise that about 800 miles south down the I-5, there were four guys churning out songs with a dark and brooding sound, chock full of riffs and venomous lyrics that shook a fist at real life issues like the glorification of violence by the news media ("Magnet"), religion ("Past the Point of God") and the illusion of the American dream ("American Flush"). This band originally went by the name Difference Engine and consisted of vocalist/guitarist Matt Hilzendrager, drummer Brendan Hagin, bassist Rich Carr and guitarist Jeff Clinton.

Tireless touring up and down the west coast with other "up and coming" bands of the day (Fear Factory, Deftones and Sugartooth among them), generated considerable record industry buzz around Difference Engine. And in 1994, after being courted by multiple labels, the band cut a deal with indie label Pavement Music (Crowbar) who would release their debut album Reach that same year. However, around the same time, they were informed that the name Difference Engine was already being used by an established "electronica" band, forcing the name change to New Idol Son.

The band, and their album Reach, would go on to receive critical acclaim from the music press, perhaps the most impressive of which, being named "Best New Hard Rock Act" of 1994 by European rag KERRANG!. But unfortunately, the manic touring schedule and hectic nature of the music biz was already beginning to take its toll. Jeff Clinton left New Idol Son just before the album's release, to be replaced briefly by Mike Davis, who would himself quit shortly thereafter. Longtime friend Jimmy Arceneaux would eventually step in to fill the role as the band began to gear up for album number two.

In 1996, the band entered the studio to record their followup to Reach, which they had dubbed Peppermint E.P. However, due to matters well out of their hands, specifically a merger of BMG Music (who owned Pavement Music) with Arista Records, New Idol Son was inexplicably dropped by the label. In the aftermath, the band broke up and their much anticipated sophomore record was never officially released. Thankfully, through the wonders of technology (i.e. the internet), some of these tracks can be heard on the band's My Space page (along with the song "Butterfly" from their debut album). Go ahead…give them a listen and hear for yourself another band whose career was tragically cut short by the corporate powers-that-be, but whose music is not forgotten.

My Space

Flashback Friday - Saint Vitus

My inspiration for this Flashback Friday feature came from finally having an opportunity to see doom legends Saint Vitus play live earlier this week. The band has been together, albeit sporadically, in some incarnation or another for nearly as long as I've been alive, yet to my knowledge, this was the first opportunity I've ever had to see them live. Given those odds…I figured it was a show I better not miss, and damn if it wasn't worth the 35 year wait. But as always…let's start at the beginning.

Saint Vitus, along with Trouble, Pentagram and a handful of others, were the very first to play the style of music that we now call doom. Now let me emphasize to you the magnitude of that statement. There are plenty of legendary bands out there who have had immeasurable influence on various sub-genres of this music scene over the past 20 plus years (Down, Crowbar, Orange Goblin…the list goes on). Saint Vitus were one of the originals…the guys that those guys looked up to.

In fact, let me tell you a little story. Back around 1993 (or maybe it was 1994…I can't really remember), I went to see Corrosion of Conformity at a shitty, little dive bar in Raleigh, North Carolina (their home town). Prior to the show, I was hanging out outside the place and happened to run into Pepper Keenan. Now, I wish I could tell you that we had some really cool discussion about the state of rock n roll or his upcoming plans to start a side project with Philip Anselmo (remember this was still a couple of years before Down would release NOLA). But no…the conversation really went more like this…

Me: Pepper Keenan! What's up man?
Pepper: What's up.
Me: I'm looking forward to the show tonight!
Pepper: Thanks.
Me: Hey…cool Saint Vitus wristband!
Pepper: Thanks.

And unfortunately that was about the extent of our conversation…but I think my point is clear.

Saint Vitus got their start in Los Angeles in the late 70's when Dave Chandler (guitar), Mark Adams (bass), Armando Acosta (drums) and Scott Reagers (vocals) joined together to make music under the name Tyrant. Whether they eventually changed their name to Saint Vitus due to their obvious affinity for Black Sabbath (Sabbath's Vol. 4 has a song called "St. Vitus' Dance") or because the real Saint Vitus is the patron saint of entertainers, I don't know for sure. Regardless, by the time the band released their self-titled debut album in 1984, their name had been forever changed.

The album was released on SST Records, a label owned by fellow SoCal musician Greg Ginn…guitarist of hardcore legends Black Flag (another band from which Vitus drew influence). It was followed by an EP titled The Walking Dead and then a year later by their sophomore effort, Hallow's Victim, which would be the last to feature Reagers on vocals. Enter Scott "Wino" Weinrich.

Having already spent time as the vocalist/guitarist for The Obsessed, Weinrich was no stranger to the burgeoning doom scene that Saint Vitus called home. His influence on the band's sound was immediately noticeable as their next album Born Too Late, which was released in 1986, would, over time become known as their masterpiece. Songs like "H.A.A.G. (Hell Ain't A Game)", "The War Starter" and of course the title track simply defined Saint Vitus. The album is still considered a high water mark for the genre today.

The following year, Saint Vitus released another EP titled Thirsty and Miserable, after the Black Flag song of the same name, which was one of the three songs on the release. These songs would later be included on the re-release of Born Too Late. In 1988, the Wino led version of the band released Mournful Cries, their final album on SST Records. The album continued in the same vein as its predecessor, a heavy slab of all out doom, but State-side, it didn't make much of a splash in the sales department and frustration began to grow within the band.

Weinrich would stick around for one more album, the 1990 Hellhound Records release V, before leaving to resurrect his old band The Obsessed. His replacement was Christian Lindersson of the Swedish band Count Raven. Lindersson did vocals on the band's sixth album C.O.D. which was released in 1992, but by the following year, Vitus came full circle by replacing him with their original singer Scott Reagers. The second go around with Reagers resulted in one album, Die Healing, which was released in 1995, but the band still was unable to match the intensity they'd found with Weinrich and in 1996, they called it quits.

In their post Saint Vitus days, Dave Chandler went on to work with Trouble's Ron Holzner in a band called Debris Inc. while Acosta stayed busy in a project called Dirty Red. Both Reagers and Adams remained relatively quiet within the music industry. Of course Weinrich's post-Vitus days were possibly his most successful, as he would continue to make music in The Obsessed as well as his other musical outlets which include Spirit Caravan, The Hidden Hand, Shrinebuilder and his own solo material.

The classic lineup of Weinrich, Chandler, Adams and Acosta reunited briefly in 2003 for a show in Chicago and then again in 2009 for some festival dates in Europe. Unfortunately, by the time of the second reunion, health problems had begun to take their toll on Acosta and he was unable to perform with the band. In his absence, Henry Vasquez from the band Blood of the Sun was brought in to sit behind the drums. Sadly, Acosta passed away in November of 2010.

The good news is this…his memory lives on in the music of Saint Vitus. As I've already made you aware, that music is alive and well in the clubs and music halls of America. Vitus' reunion led them to a co-headlining spot on the Metalliance Tour which is making its way across the U.S. this very moment. Playing alongside seasoned metal veterans Crowbar and Helmet as well as upstarts like Howl and Red Fang, Saint Vitus is introducing a whole new generation, who very well may have been "born to late", to the doom that started it all.

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Flashback Friday - Eldemur Krimm

Before I get started talking about the mysterious history of Eldemur Krimm, let me first give a shout out to Bill from the Soda Shop for recommending these guys to me. You see, prior to his recommendation and my ensuing research for this edition of Flashback Friday, I knew nothing about this band from Portland, Maine…never even heard of 'em. I also want to add that subsequent to this brief glimpse into the band's history, you can check out a review of their album Dirigo that was recently posted over at the Soda Shop right here.

The story begins in the early 2000's, when the band was already infecting the Northeastern United States with its distinct sound, which blended bluesy psychedelic rock with the intricate and improvisational grooves often associated with jam bands. Eldemur Krimm were comprised of three Portland rock vets, including Fred Dodge (ex Swamp Witch Revival and Stoned Lily) on vocals and guitar, Jason Marshall (ex Petting Zoo and Trivium…no, not that one) on bass and Stefen Samuels (also ex Trivium) on drums. The guys made two attempts at complimenting their sound with a second guitarist, first with Neil Collins (ex Lincolnville and Twisted Roots) who would play with the band for about a year before skipping town to sail to the Carribbean (really, you can't make this stuff up) and then briefly with Matt Robins from local rockabilly legends King Memphis. But at the end of the day, the true essence of Eldemur Krimm would emerge as that of a power trio.

And what of the band's name? Well apparently it was taken from a character out of Dodge's own science fiction writing. How appropriate then that the singer was once quoted as describing his band's sound as "sci-fi rock". And you can hear it for yourself on Krimm's 2003 debut Dirigo (the name of which is an homage to their home state as it is the official motto of Maine and means "I Lead" in Latin). A true underground classic, the album featured a healthy dose of all the quirky, sludgy and twangy elements that gave the band their one of a kind sound…like Primus riffing on Sabbath with Gregg Allman along for the ride. Perhaps an even better description comes from John Althoff of the band Conifer who once said Eldemur Krimm was "like Mountain on crack"…referring to the classic American rock band who gave us "Mississippi Queen".

Dirigo was released on the band's own Yog-Sothoth Records, another name that sheds a little light on what made Eldemur Krimm tick, as the word "Yog-Sothoth" comes from the works of classic horror/sci-fi/fantasy writer H. P. Lovecraft. And speaking of what made the band tick…Dodge once said the inspiration behind his tripped out, backwoods lyrics was "growing up in Isleboro", an isolated Maine town that the singer described as "lawless"…and perhaps more importantly, as having "the most potent marijuana ever grown". But it wasn't just Dodge's lyrics that cast a frighteningly mystical aura over Krimm's sound…it was also his appearance. The man is an imposing figure, standing six feet, eight inches tall and sporting a greying beard down to his chest, he looks kind of like a cross between Rob Zombie and Gandalf from The Lord of the Rings.

The band's aural and visual quirkiness provided them a cult following that resulted in countless gigs in and around the Portland area. These shows eventually led to a friendship with Indianapolis riff-meisters Devil to Pay, who in turn invited Eldemur Krimm to support them on their 2006 tour through the midwest and western United States. On the heels of this tour, which was a resounding success, the band quickly began work on their sophomore album Trainwreck on a Ship. It seemed as though they were on the brink of breaking out of the burgeoning Portland music scene from which they'd spawned…and then they disappeared.

Trainwreck... was unfortunately never released…although I'm fairly certain there are copies floating around out there, no official album exists. As always with Flashback Friday fodder…keep your eyes open. Unfortunately, Krimm disbanded in 2008 for reasons that are not apparent to this writer. Here's what I do know…Neil Collins and Matt Robins (the two attempts at a second guitarist) are now playing in riff-heavy rock band Murcielago. Stefen Samuels is also active, playing with another Portland rock outfit called Clubber Lang. Jason Marshall has played with indie rock band Subject Bias, but any recent music activity is unbeknownst to me. As for Fred Dodge…who knows…he's a ghost. The best I can tell you is something I read online…"he's a warlock in the great Maine woods where doors to other dimensions exist." You know…it sounds about right to me.

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Flashback Friday - Tungsten

By now, we’re all familiar with the late 80’s/early 90’s New Orleans metal scene that would eventually spawn the term “sludge”. Due in part to the slow as molasses tempos that were being incorporated into their sound as well as the swampy environs from which they called home, the term seemed an apt description for bands like Crowbar, Eyehategod and Acid Bath who are all considered to be pioneers of the genre. Unfortunately, when a music scene blows up, there are always a few stragglers that get left behind by no fault of their own. These bands are often tragically forgotten and forever under appreciated (just ask Mudhoney up in Seattle) and in New Orleans, Tungsten was one of those bands.

Hailing from Chalmette, Louisiana just outside The Big Easy, the band got their start in 1985 when Mark Talamo (drums) and Al Hodge (guitar/vocals) joined together to make music under the moniker SAM SNOT. Other than a few demos however, this version of the band wouldn’t get very far and by 1990 they would change their name to Tungsten…taken from an actual "heavy metal" on the periodic chart of the elements. Talamo, who split time as a sound engineer, was fortunate enough to work with Down on some of their 1992 demos for their Nola album and Crowbar on their classic self-titled sophomore release (which happened to be produced by Philip Anselmo).

These industry connections eventually led Tungsten to ink a deal with fledgling Chicago metal label Pavement Music who released their debut album 183.85 (the atomic weight of tungsten…of course) in 1993. The album was everything that came to define the sludge sub-genre with its ultra distorted, down tuned guitars, abrasive vocals and depressing lyrical content. Not long after the album's release, Mark and Al, who until then had remained a two piece, decided to bring in Steve Talamo (Mark's brother) to play both bass and guitar, a move that added another level of depth to the band's already heavy sound.

Unfortunately by 1994, the sludge popularity train had already begun to leave the station and despite having a crushingly heavy sound that easily matched that of their peers, Tungsten weren't onboard. The band's brief stint with Pavement Music didn't go further than their debut album, leaving them without a home until Swedish label Megarock Records stepped in and released their second album 74 LXXIV (another play on the band's name, this one the element's atomic number) in 1995. This album saw the band forging on with their sludgy NOLA sound and despite being virtually ignored State-side, it was very well received in Europe…particularly Holland.

It's no surprise then that when it came time to record album number three, Tungsten signed with Dutch label Lighttown Records. The result was the 1997 album The Survival Kit which saw the band take an interesting stylistic turn by adding keyboards to the mix, creating a sort of Type O Negative meets Crowbar dynamic. Al Hodge was quoted as saying The Survival Kit was "when we really started to get our sound, which was a mix of the NOLA stuff and the European scene". Despite the band's enthusiasm for their new sound and the success they'd found across the pond, Tungsten wouldn't be heard from again for six years.

By that time, the internet had completely changed the way fans accessed music as Napster and other file sharing sites had already begun to revolutionize the music industry. In a bold move counter to many of their peers, Tungsten embraced music downloading and in 2003 self released their fourth album The Abuse via download from their website. The album saw another stylistic shift for the band as it was much less abrasive, particularly in the vocal department and trended towards more of a "hard rock" sound than the sludge for which they'd become known. In addition to offering the new album for download, Tungsten also offered their entire back catalogue, which by that time was primarily out of print from the indie labels that had originally released the albums.

Tungsten would be heard from one last time in 2005 with the release of their fifth and final album, the introspective If Death Doesn't Change You…Nothing Will. The record is essentially Al Hodge pouring out the pain and sadness of losing both his father and one of his closest friends within the course of a year. Like it's predecessor, it was self released by the band's own label Tungsten Music Records and was available for download from their website.

Not long after the release of If Death Doesn't Change You…, Hurricane Katrina pummeled New Orleans and the surrounding area. Both Al Hodge and Mark Talamo lost everything (Steve's home was fortunately spared). In the aftermath, Tungsten decided to call it a day. Al relocated to Texas and as recently as 2009, could be heard in Tandapa, an industrial metal collaboration with Richard Wilson of the Swedish band Floodhorse. Mark and Steve still reside in Louisiana, but have been fairly quiet on the music front. Unfortunately, the fact that Tungsten's five albums were all released by independent labels (or by the band members themselves) means they're all long out of print. Regardless, all it takes is a little digging to uncover these types of rare gems. I promise it's well worth the effort. Happy Flashback Friday everyone!

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