New Band to Burn One To: PUSSYCAT AND THE DIRTY JOHNSONS

Directly from the sandy beaches and hot sun of...London, England...comes a raunchy, bawdy, in your face trio of rockers who deliver a high energy brand of rockabilly retro skate surf punk fuzz. The wailing, confrontational, all out vocals of frontwoman Puss Johnson (She's going to have to marry a Hampton, I think) are reminiscent of Sleater-Kinney's incredible Corinne Tucker. The dual guitars of Johnson and lead riff-meister Dirty Jake are a colossal sonic concoction of blistering be-bop and monstrous, memorable melodies. Filfy Antz drives it all forward in breakneck crescendo and perilous climax. This trio isn't climbing into any typical box of the usual fuzz labels, but the retro punk vibe is loud, raucous, and diabolically fun.

bandcamp ^~^ facebook ^~^ website ^~^ twitter ^~^ instagram ^~^ youtube

New Band To Burn One To: MASTEROID - "HOLLOWED BEINGS"

MegaStonerRetroPunkFuzz has been quite brilliantly captured on this raw, garage rock of an album from a threesome of young and imaginative musicians out of Phoenix. It's a simple sound, yet for all the novice hallmarks of this album it manages to bestow an elegance in that simplicity as well as near genius in its melodic composition. The magnitude of the riffs is towering, brutal, and primordial while the dexterity displayed in the hooks and simple interludes is addicting. The drummers display a magnificent proficiency of timing, power, and heart. The bass is savage, ruthless, and unyielding in its driving rhythms.

These young musicians seem to be ramping up for a career in the low, dark arts of stoner/doom style music. Their inaugural oblations indicate more brilliance to come if they can manage enough notoriety. Here's to hoping that is indeed their fate, and ours.

bandcamp >>|<< facebook

DOUBLE TOKE: The Darts - Self-Titled LP / Mad Monkees - Self-Titled LP

I have 2 artists' works to share with you today, so this'll be two Quick Hits in one, which surely can be classified as a double toke, right? The theme today is a punky, garage-y, grungey assault with stoner rock fuzz bombs.



When I listen to The Darts I envision uber-slick rockers from somewhere in Britain, but these nimble rock warriors hail instead from Phoenix and Los Angeles. They display the full battery of stoner assault weaponry with a relentless bass, massive drums, and gargantuan guitar, blasting missiles of massive fuzz, but what sets them apart are the blitzkrieg of vocals from each of the four band members and the razor sharp melodies upon which the assault is laid. It's a formidable vehicle upon which is built an array of quality pieces, all of it erupting with heart and sweat and not a little bit of innate ability, making for music that is thoroughly pleasurable, deeply satisfying, and massively fun.

bandcamp ... facebook ... website

♥♦♣♠♥♦♣♠♥♦♣♠♥♦♣♠♥♦♣♠♥♦♣♠♥♦♣♠♥♦♣♠♥♦♣♠♥♦♣♠♥♦♣♠♥♦♣♠♥♦♣♠♥♦♣♠♥♦♣♠♥♦♣♠♥♦♣♠♥♦♣♠♥♦♣♠♥♦♣♠♥♦♣♠♥♦



Hailing from Fortaleza, Brazil this band of four very special primates delivers a whopping load of fuzz and fun on their self-titled LP, released a year and a half after their self-titled EP. If you're coming across these high octane rockers for the first time then together the EP and LP offer up 14 roaring tracks of imaginative assonance, designed to be played in the loudest mode you can muster.

bandcamp ... facebook ... website ... reverbnation ... instagram ... youtube

♪☺♂☻◙•☼◘○♀♫♪☺♂☻◙•☼◘○♀♫♪☺♂☻◙•☼◘○♀♫♪☺♂☻◙•☼◘○♀♫♪☺♂☻◙•☼◘○♀♫♪☺♂☻◙•☼◘○♀♫♪☺♂

Album Review: Ruff Majik - "The Fox"

Whew! Where are my asbestos gloves? This album is HOT!! Searing through the ionosphere from Pretoria, South Africa, screaming towards us cloaked in fuzz stuffed riffs, raucous runs, and joyous melody comes the latest release by one of Stoner Rock's new breed of jam masters, Ruff Majik. "The Fox" delivers six fibrous, rollicking delicacies of amplified fuzz close on the heels of their 2015 offering of "The Bear", itself bursting forth with six jagged metal edges of sharp and smoky stoner standards.

Ruff Majik are comprised of:

Johni Holliday - Guitars, vocals, and narratives
Benni Manchino - Drums and narratives
Jimi Glass - Bass guitar

As an EP of six, "The Fox" has little room and little time to waste in solidifying a sound that will attract the ear of discerning stonerheads. I can safely and securely report they have been quite successful in utilizing every bit, every note, every riff, every run, every song on this astounding release.

"King of the Badgers"  This opening track begins with what would appear to be a setup for a psychedelic riff trip, but before the initial minute has closed the band has unleashed fuzzy hell on our senses, and all out distortion through melodic amplification. Fittingly, Glass's bass begins the riffslaught, followed closely by Holiday's dextrous riff-fire and then Manchino's undertow of power. The tenor of the song is pure stoner bliss, with low tuned distortion and filtered fierceness throughout, before closing on a short, melancholy acoustic coda.

"Wax Wizard" begins with heads tilted simultaneously to the sky at the gargantuan sound and straight downward to the dark abyss of low tuned stoner perfection. This song is deliberate, dank, and darkly determined in its steady onslaught of hammer blows and husky sound detonations.

Third in line is "Canned Fruit Bats", which utilizes a very cool opening couple of minutes. The fidelity at the outset is low, simple, and melodically beautiful, almost as if being played through your portable hi-fi at the beach back in the day. But very cool soon gives way to awesome. Awesome in scope, delivery, and emotion. The band's now customary onslaught begins with, and sustains an up-tempo flow of fuzzy chords and dusty laser riffs wrapped in a vocal and lyrical masterstroke. This song is a treasure.

"Sodoom and Gomorah" is a dirge of dark delight, gloomy and certain in its trudging tempo through melodic muck before revving up its outboard amplifiers to cut a quick and deadly swath toward its riff laden conclusion.

Opening with a poetic reading that is a prelude to what's to come is "Coffin Dragger", another beautifully crafted up-tempo onslaught of fuzz and distortion in the same vein Ruff Majik have perfectly established to this point, but offering up something new and immensely compelling, burying your experience deep into exquisite riffs of bass, string, and skin.

The closer is an emotional ride told in two parts, each equally adept at portraying the darkness of emotion and loss. "Royal Forest" is a beautifully haunting tale, perfectly accentuated through low wailing riffs and woeful vocals.

bandcamp || facebook || documentary

Band Submission: The SfenTones-Garage, Punk, Stoner Rock From Thessaloniki, Greece

Band Name: The SfenTones
Genre: Garage, Punk, Stoner
Location: Thessaloniki, Greece
Brief Bio/Description: The Sfentones were formed at Theessaloniki in 2012. After some changes in the line up the group's current members play together from 2014. In March 2016 we released digitally our debut album entitled Moonshine Fumes. It contains 9 original songs plus a cover of The Stooges' TV Eye. Currently we are writing new material for our second album.
Band Members:
Themis Vocals; Rhythm Guitar
Kosmas: Lead Guitar
Bill: Bass Guitar
Stef: Drums, Percussion
Links: Soundcloud | YouTube | Facebook | ReverbNation | Bandcamp

Band Submission: Slush-Stoner, Garage, Doom, Proto-Metal From Brooklyn, New York

Band Name: Slush
Genre: Stoner, Garage, Doom, Proto-Metal
Location: Brooklyn
Brief Bio/Description: We're a Brooklyn, NY based band that just released our first full length, "American Demons" on cassette. It has stoned grooves, fuzzed out solos and face melting riffs aplenty.

Following their EP 6XTY and split with Doubting Thomas Cruise Control, Brooklyn band Slush are set to announce their next release, American Demons. The group's expanded sound ranges from raw cowpunk stomp to slow '70s death-cult groove - half heavy metal, half aluminum siding.

The album shares of a series of tall tales centering around the bloody origins and dismal present of the United States, each focusing on a different character or creature. First single "Suzerain" imagines Judge Holden of Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian in the backwaters of modern-day Missouri, ruling over a coterie of lapsed priests, methheads, trailerpark prostitutes and gutterpunk slime. "Bathysphere," the second single, depicts the fall of Atlantis at the hands of a vengeful amphibious automaton.

The album is available digitally and on silver cassette with a custom 16-panel booklet replete with lyrics, stories and a full-panel image corresponding to each song.

Links: Tumbler/Bandcamp

Song of the Day-The Strayin' Sparrows-"Skyship"

"Skyship" is taken off of the latest full-length release of the same name. A bluesy riff sets the pace for this spaced-out garage rock nugget. With hints of psychedelia and effects-laden vocals you are sent floating into oblivion, then at the 2:27 mark you are thrust full-force into another galaxy only to be returned once again to your comfort zone. Pretty remarkable track to say the very least. For more information, please check out the following links: Facebook | Bandcamp

New Band To Burn One To: Goskino

With the sheer volume of music that comes our way here at Heavy Planet, as much as we delve and strive to find the best of the best, sometimes the odd worthwhile band falls between the sleepless days and the feedback distortion of the again sleepless night. Sometimes we may be playing catch up, but when it comes to the fuzzed-out noise of Goskino, it is an encounter that has been worth the wait.

Having only released their debut in March of last year, the frenzied fuzz duo from Stratford Upon Avon, UK,  have stomped their feet firmly at the head of the heavy fuzz garage rock scene, with a sound that is very raw, full of primal urges, and killer punch lines. The duo of Tom Angell (vocals, guitar) and Greg McLeod (drums, vocals) are like two stoners brought up on razor wire garage rock with teenage angst frothing from their mouths. Their debut Fuzz Bomb is as raw and straight-to-the-point as you could wish for, with 11 tracks barely making 30 minutes, their DIY and punk ethos is a joy to listen to, making you cry out “why can’t every band do it this way?.”

Fuzz Bomb is one frenetic fuzzed out moment of the duo’s lives that could never be replicated, making it a fresh, welcome listen, but the riffs and drum destruction want  you to head bang your brains out of your ears, hold the membrane in your hands, lift towards the sky, and yell “FUCK YEAH”!

GOSKINO HAVE COME FOR YOU!

Facebook|Bandcamp|Website

Album Review: Lo and Behold! by Mojo Waves

Mojo Waves are a rock 'n' roll band from Finland. They perform as a power trio. They've just released their debut LP, Lo and Behold! Their music is a swirling amalgam of Desert Rock, Psychedelia, and Garage Rock. The drums are tight, the guitars chop and soar, and the bass keeps the whole thing relatively grounded. But the vocals are what separates this band from the hard rock pack. Arttu Kantola, who handles voice and guitar, belts and shrieks like a demented Burke Shelley, or the rebellious son of Tiny Tim. This approach to the vox is refreshing and distances the group from other bands fronted by Neil Fallon wannabes and grungey warblers.

But while the vocals are different, they are not employed as a novelty, like The Darkness used them. No, the vocals here are the perfect compliment to the crunch of the music, the high and sweet to the music's heavy and tough. This dynamic works great on songs like Skylight (personal favorite) where the guitar bounces like a tumbleweed in a twister, and the vocals soar above like an angel. Great White cleverly incorporates elements of surf music and hints at a sense of humor. And the closing track, It's Just a Road, Yeah offers some funky bass breakdowns and dusty guitar solos. The tune is a frenzied cliff hanger and the perfect way to end an album- going out swinging and making the listener want more.

Lo and Behold! is the first LP from Mojo Waves, and if the great songs on their debut are any indication, this young band will be big. You can say you heard them here first. Below is a short teaser, but the link to their Bandcamp page below the video is the way to go to hear these tunes in their awesome glory. 

Facebook/Bandcamp

Nuclear Dog's Atomic Split: Devil to Pay - "Fate is Your Muse" / Supercabra - "Down From the Mountain"

We've all had the mental image of a steamer trunk or some other suitcase type carrier, after closing, coming apart at the seams due to the overabundance of items stuffed inside, right? That image is what comes immediately to mind when confronting today's double stuffed Atomic Split, filled to bursting with big, heavy, wondrous tunes from two bands who quite successfully epitomize stoner rock music in the form of Devil to Pay and Supercabra. While each has their own unique take on crafting gargantuan, fuzzy grooves, the similarity between them is in the effort and ability they each possess in forging LPs laden with quality and fun. Both albums are enhanced greatly with volume and repetition, so please sit back, plug in, give the volume dial a quick and complete right turn, and take in the music of these two albums to their max more than once or twice and I'm certain you will be exceptionally pleased with the time spent discovering what these two unbelievable bands have on tap for you to experience with sonic wonder.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

DEVIL TO PAY - "FATE IS YOUR MUSE"

Band members:

Steve Janiak - Vocals, Guitar
Chad Prifogle - Drums
Matt Stokes - Bass
Rob Hough - Guitar

Man, I swear if you listen to "Fate is Your Muse" three times a week, followed immediately by protein/carb drinks after each session, and follow this routine for 6 months, you will look like Mr. Olympia at the end of the cycle, because THIS ALBUM IS HEAVY!. The more I hear it the more I realize just how low and heavy Devil to Pay has made it. It's not just one big lump of metal, but provides finely textured and braided variations on any given song's low tuned riffs and themes. Matt's bass and the guitars of Steve and Rob work together to craft pleasurable mega riffs and snippets of sheer joy on top of interludes of blissful licks, punctuated with welded beads of sheer laserbeam solos. These sounds are wrapped tightly by Chad's energetic, intelligent drumwork that itself is tightly wound and perfectly spaced to create a strong cable of metal might. All of it is deftly and tightly packaged with Steve's unique signature vocals perfectly suited to the melodies they have conjured forth.

Of note is that "Fate is Your Muse" is produced by Ripple Music, who have established themselves as one of the major labels promoting truly great rock and roll, whether it be of the stoner, doom, sludge, psychedelic, or retro variety.

Devil to Pay's history is of the vein of perseverance and tenacity, having lasted through the inevitable band member changes through a decade of existence, but also through major personal tragedies that would stop anyone else cold in their tracks not truly committed to the cause. Hailing from the Heartland of Indianapolis, Devil to Pay have persevered and are creating some of rock's finest music at present - any genre, any level, any anything.

"Fate is Your Muse" contains twelve delicious stoner gems, each weighing tons in combined stonerage, each perfectly relevant on its own, and each adding magnificently to a perfect dozen devoid of sugar and light, but packed tightly with metal grindings, darkness, and distorted reverberations of sheer pleasure.

I can't single out any one song or group of songs as my favorites because they all are awesome, as I'm sure you, too, will find them to be incredibly fun to listen to. Devil to Pay kicks off the album with "Prepare to Die" where a classic riff sound permeates throughout and the heavy, low fuzz is ever present, just as it is throughout the album. Here we are also introduced to the signature vocal stylings of Steve's unique pipes, something that doesn't at first scream 'belissimo', but give it a minute, or a couple of songs, and it will quickly fall into place as perfectly matched to the melodies, as previously mentioned. Subsequent playings then become much more enjoyable experiences.

"Ten Lizardmen and One Pocketknife", in addition to providing the best title on the LP, provides a tightly wound tempo of blistering rawhide rampage. Incredible fun. "Wearing You Down" and "Already Dead" slow the tempo down slightly, but the monstrous low riffs are nearly overwhelming, complemented perfectly by searing, soaring solos.

"Yes Master" has a slight Alice in Chains feel to it, but still strongly remains signature Devil to Pay, make no mistake. All the big guitar hallmarks wrapped by Steve's signature vocals are there.

The quickest, tightest song on the album is "This Train Won't Stop" and it gets my vote for best on the album.  A fast paced romp, tight and clean in tempo, fierce and fun in delivery. "Savonarola" keeps the tempo quick and somehow manages to fuzz up the riffage in doing so.

"Mass Psychosis" is another great example of artistic maturity in terms of musical creation as the riffs and licks unfold, intertwine, and engage the listener in complex constructs of distortion and metal bliss. "Tie One On", it's own unique construct, follows the same concepts as its predecessors with engaging and engrossing fuzz bomb variations and execution. The riffs are mighty, the vocals sprightly, and the song packaged tightly, creating supreme enjoyment in its low tuned magnificence.

The album closes with "Beyond the Ether". This one has traces of original Black Sabbath in it, at once sublime and endurable, etching deep channels of distortion and fuzz into the psyche of the listener. Deep, low, slow, tenuously restrained ethereal power escapes in measured doses as the song trips inexorably forward through the psychotic dark. A majestic ending to a memorable and magnificent dozen of stoner metal treasure.

There is no doubt this album can quickly be placed into a category for consideration of inclusion in Top 20 of 2013 lists. It stands out quickly and only rises in stature with each revelational revolution.





facebook || bandcamp || ripple || website || reverbnation || myspace

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

SUPERCABRA - "DOWN FROM THE MOUNTAIN"

Band members:

Ben Action - Lead Guitar
Scott Free - Bass
T Perea - Lead, Rhythm Guitars
Gregg - Vocals; Lead, Rhythm Guitars
Clint Milmime - Drums

Hailing from Albuquerque, New Mexico and forming off the remnants of several local bands Supercabra have brought together an army of guitars ready to do Stoner and Retro Rock battle at the drop of an octave. Strap 'em on and buckle 'em in, 'cause you're in for an unforgettable ride through earth shattering sounds and mind blowing metal.

Supercabra have carved out a unique place for themselves in the underground world of stoner/retro/desert rock by providing a high level of quality, enhanced greatly by the army of guitars at their disposal, but also by the melody making gifts on display presumably by several, if not all, of the band members. The songs are diverse in nature in terms of the musical approach to the melodies, but they claim the same sublime splintery edge to each song.

One sound outside of music that comes close to the resplendent signatures of guitar fuzz and distortion is that of a finely tuned 'big block' engine unleashed on the road, roaring in all its glory as it moves through space in minimal time. Supercabra open their album with such a sound, which struck me as entirely apropos given the meaty, beefy tones shared between music and machine, especially this music by this metal machine. "Vanishing Point" has more of a spoken lyric than is typical for vocal execution, but the guitars are all unleashed on this song providing entry points in myriad locations for focus on enjoyable licks blasting and blistering their way in perfect unison while simultaneously following their own unique pathways. The blend is wondrous, just as each part is mesmerizing.

"Death B4 Minivan", a famous rallying cry for those yet to experience parenthood. Raucous and hormonal, the song generates loads of fun in its guitar onslaught. "Early Morning Red Dog Prayer" is more cautious in nature at the outset, but provides a gargantuan container of fuzz, perhaps in an attempt to mimic the thick rope of cobwebs described within the lyrics from a 'morning after' episode. The hair of the dog kicks in at solo time as the house must surely have caught fire from the screeching, scorching riff rendition. Dexterity and desire are on display during the meat of this lick stew melody, but the closing seconds is what really sets it apart as a singular tune as a ghostly, warbly vocal from somewhere out of the ether takes over and brings the song to a close. Whether it's a guest vocal, or whether someone in the band provides the eerie chants, it provides a memorable closing moment to a memorable melancholy melody.

"Drinking and Driving Man" is a distorted, raucous reincarnation of Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen, fun, upbeat, and bursting with juicy goodness.

Next up is quite likely a song that will be adopted as personal themes for millions of pain sufferers in California, Colorado, and Washington. "Resin" is a haunting and melancholy trip through the trials and tribulations of dealing with resin buildup in various medicine delivery accoutrement. Oh the heartache!

The tempo kicks up in "The Warzone", a tight and structured romp of sonic dissonance levied via the mercenary axes of distortion and power employed by Supercabra's guitar cadre.

There is a plaintiff wail within "Las Vegas Ave." that cuts to the quick with it's sharpness in the midst of melancholic fuzz reminiscing and introversion.

Retro rock is the game on "Stolen Freedom", a song that sounds as if it came from the protest eras of the sixties, only with massive fuzz riffs, lively bass licks, and incredible drum rolls accompanying the crys for freedom.

"Grizzled Stoner Wizard" wins the award for best title, and quickly makes a case for best song to boot. Stoner riffs are displayed from the outset, upfront and vibrant, long and lustful. It's funky and fresh in tone, tripping through the wires, providing an incredible sound of unleashed fury and unremitting joy.

Supercabra close out with a cover of Black Sabbath's "Electric Funeral", superbly unfolding the fantastic tale in measured paces through the refrains while cutting loose during the blitzkrieg choruses of the classic metal standard that is highly regarded as one of the roots of stoner/doom rock, hence the tribute from this gifted and brilliant group of mighty stoner wizards.

"Down From the Mountain" is a superb stoner rock / heavy metal album, never settling for sub par execution on any of the included songs, delivering ten perfectly manufactured packages of fuzz tone.





facebook || reverbnation || bandcamp ||

Nuclear Dog's Atomic Split: Wight - "Through the Woods Into Deep Water / Wake Up Lucid - "Feel It"

Wight - "Through the Woods Into Deep Water"

Hailing from Darmstadt, Germany, Wight is a band that has already made a mark on the psychedelic/doom music world with the past release of the excellently named "Wight Weedy Wight" and a split release with Stone Axe that includes a really cool live recording of  the song "Wight Weedy Wight". In July they released their second full length album, "Through the Woods Into Deep Water", a spaced out name for a wonderfully spaced out jam of an album. Wight have managed to pack 9 deliciously crunchy and colorful psych/doom songs into this adventurous compilation of heart and skill. These songs are meant for total immersion into audio sensory overload, so to reap the full effect of the unique and diverse melodies on offer with 'Through the Woods' I recommend you slap on your noise cancelling headphones and remove all other forms of stimulus in order to maximize the effect of the aural onslaught Wight have provided on these 9 masterful, musical creations. You will be treated to some shrewd music making, with mouth watering guitars, huge, driving bass, and skillfull, clever drums, not to mention songs that don't strictly conform to traditional structure, freeing them up to explore interesting and unusual places, all leading to an experience that begs for a commitment beyond initial familiarity. The instruments are immense, the musicians are committed, and the songs are an enjoyable journey through a colorful musicscape of immense proportions.

Band members:

Rene - vocals and guitar
Peter - bass
Michael - drums





((( facebook || myspace || bandcamp || reverbnation || website )))

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wake Up Lucid - "Feel It"

Edgy, bluesy, gutsy music defines the third album release from Los Angeles' Wake Up Lucid. The trio of cousins that make up the band have coalesced a collection of songs that are striking and original, while paying their debt to influences and style. The songs tend to be both stripped bare of all but the most essential elements required for their kick ass sound as well as being incredibly dense with nuanced riffs, rich and full rhythms, and pleasingly structured melodies. Initially you might compare the music to the White Stripes, due to the similarity in cousin Ryan's vocals to those of Jack White, as well as the pair's guitar work, and there no doubt is an influence there, but the  Baca cousins have provided much more than White Stripes wanna be music here. You can hear their life in this music, the experiences they've had, their viewpoint of what the world means to them in these raw, but adept melodies. They present a rich and braided texture to each song, making sure to rock the roll first, drawing you in, where you are sure to come upon numerous and varied riff passages ripe with bluesy edges, primal chord progressions, minimal and clean bass riffs, and salty trap attacks. The title track is a rock and roll tour de force, brimming with fuzz laced riffage as Ryan belts out a banshee vocal assault. Many of the songs are measured at a deliberate pace, neither high speed energy nor slow ballad, providing a powerful collection of mid tempo rock standards that seem to accentuate the guitar work, such as the songs "Death Valley", "When I Come Around", "Facepaint", and "Rising Tide", while "Fame" and "Arms" bring you back around to a higher tempo, fast driving, hard bluesy edge at a higher pace.

Wake Up Lucid bring originality, uniqueness, and heart to this superb collection of ass kicking rock.

Ryan Baca - Vocals / Guitar
Ian Baca - Bass
Jamie Baca - Drums




((( facebook || myspace || twitter || lastfm || website )))

New Band To Burn One To: THE WITCHES DRUM

Heavy Planet presents today's "New Band To Burn One To" . . . The Witches Drum!

Band Bio:

Since their formation in 2009, Cardiff band The Witches Drum – vocals (Matt Fry), guitar (Joel McCauley), guitar (Mike Lancaster), bass (Owen Griffiths), and drums (Stephen Jones) – have fast become the Heavy Rock Spectacular for diehard followers of psychedelic noise.

Having threatened to release an EP for some time now Future Kings Of An Empty Throne is the group’s first official release on the band’s own imprint, Levitation Records. Recorded by Fudge Wilson (Exit International) at Sound Space Studios, over four tracks the band swallow influences and choke alchemy out of crowd rousing concoctions. From Beefheartian barks (‘Watch The Freaks Lose It’), tripped out San Fran jams (‘Filthy Closets’) and chugging Led Zep rock it’s a heady mix of ’73 era British blues and West Coast stoner doom. Primordial, loud and the aural embodiment of sleazy rock ‘n’ roll.

As anyone who has witnessed their frenzied shows will testify, their reputation precedes them. A regular fixture on the local South Wales scene playing live alongside the likes of Thorun, Zinc Bukowski and Johnny Cage And The Voodoo Groove, front man Matt Fry’s glowering reptilian presence and the group’s embrace of long forgotten sounds (think Blue Cheer, Sir Lord Baltimore, Josefus et al) is truly something to behold. Like a crazed collision of Arthur Brown theatrics and weighty Electric Wizard vibrations, they’ve electrified believers with big riffs and unforgettable shows. Most memorably at Cardiff’s annual Sŵn Festival, with a storming set and weekend closer.

Thoughts:


The Witches Drum bring a raucous rock n' roll party on "Future Kings of an Empty Throne", with some very cool and funky rhythms that never hold back on the loud and the heavy while seeming to bend both space and time as they trip through the moods and the melodies of these four sensational tracks. While the songs are nuanced with many incredible layers of style and delivery, they will at any time come right out and slap you upside the head with sledgehammer blows and flamethrower fireballs. The opening track, "Watch the Freaks Lose It" is an astonishing concoction of fun and fury, with melody, heart, and riffage aplenty. When the band kicks into high gear the solos scorch with arc welder intensity, the bass like the unyielding fury of commercial sledgehammers, accompanied by large gauge drum beat blasts of gattling gun tempo, all wrapped up in clear, deep, rich vocals that complete the paisley clad package. But they never stay under the heavy too long, superbly moving into multi-layered and colorful psychedelic renditions of uber-cool wickedness, gracefully and expertly blending the seemingly disparate styles into unbelievably fantastic and melodious renditions of something unique and superb. 


The digital album is currently available on bandcamp. The CDs will be shipping in early September.


||| bandcamp || facebook || myspace |||

New Band To Burn One To-Generation of Swine

The "New Band To Burn One To" today is Generation of Swine.

Bio:

Formed late 2009 in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, UK by Dan Rooker ,Jim Crick and ex member Dunc Britchford.

Early freeform sonic experiments have twisted into a Psychedelic/Garage mishmash following the introduction of members Jason Sparkes, Suze Lynne and Chris Langeland.

Only gigging lightly a debut album YDEFKHTSP (YOU DON'T EVEN FUCKING KNOW HOW TO SPELL PSYCHADELLICK) was finally released in November this past year. Local airplay spearheaded by BBC introducing has helped secure a recording deal offer (as yet untaken) and the band are planning to record the next LP around the new year.
 
Taking their name from a Hunter S. Thompson book called Gonzo Papers, Vol. 2: Generation of Swine: Tales of Shame and Degradation in the '80s , Generation of Swine is a Psychedelic/Garage Rock band from Bury St Edmunds, UK. The band's influences range anywhere from The Velvet Underground to the Jesus & Mary Chain. The band plays a highly contagious brand of 60's influenced psychedelic rock mixed with the edginess of 90's Garage Rock. Passionate, dark and brooding are a few words that can describe the band's sound. With thoughtful lyrics and a burning desire, Generation of Swine are a band to watch out for.  The band has a few albums available on Bandcamp at a name your price option. Check'em out now!




MySpace|Facebook|Reverb Nation|Last.fm|Bandcamp