Album Review: SASQUATCH - "MANEUVERS"

Alright! The fifth album from one of rock's unsung practitioners has been released. Any spin through any one of the, now five, albums put out by the Los Angeles retro/stoner rock trio Sasquatch will provide opioid level euphoria through a delivery system of dense metal and decibel distension, packaged in razor sharp hooks and monumental melodies. This is the case with the first song on the first album through to the last song on the latest album, the freshly available "MANEUVERS".

The musicians that recorded "MANEUVERS" include:

Keith Gibbs - guitar, vocals
Jason Casanova - bass
Craig Riggs - drums

Where's Rick Ferrante, the longtime drummer for the band, you ask? He's very much still a part of Sasquatch. How could he not be? He's been there from the inception, providing a quality of rhythm drumwork rarely matched this side of Ginger Baker. Craig Riggs, himself an accomplished drummer, as well as vocalist, for the stoner rock legends Roadsaw and supergroup Kind, has been tasked with the skin-thumping duties on #5 as Sasquatch launch their campaign through Europe in support of the new album. Many, if not most, of the gifted musicians that ply their wares in the underground world of stoner/fuzz rock, do so outside of their regular job work schedules, so making extended forays away from those jobs isn't always possible. Rick, though, has other venues lined up for his phenomenal skills, both as a full-time member of The Ultra Electric Mega Galactic and playing live venues with the up and coming underground superstars Aboleth (is that an oxymoron - underground superstar?)

"MANEUVERS" consist of 8 intensely amplified tracks of thick, syrupy mega-fuzz in which Keith Gibbs' wonderfully mellifluous vocals match perfectly his sledge hammer heavy riffs and ozone searing solos, where Jason Casanova's bass is forcefully wielded, relentless in muscular ferocity, and Craig Riggs' steady rhythms sting and pound in incessant brilliance. The overall tone is a soulful resonance, somber, edgy, and nostalgic, unyielding in its sheer power.

"Rational Woman" kicks off the show with gargantuan raggedness, beautifully laid down in primal tempo, showcasing Gibbs' rich, powerfully melancholy vocals. "More Than You'll Ever Be" is steady and relentless, advancing in magnetic forcefulness. "Destroyer" demonstrates the raw might of haunting tonality. "Bringing Me Down" is reminiscent of early Sasquatch songs in sentiment and style, a welcome memory for some, a fresh introduction into past glory for others. Funky and on fire, "Just Couldn't Stand the Weather" brandishes a unique melody and style, a departure that doesn't stray too far from the path marked 'Sasquatch', but is populated by some intriguing mutations, riff creatures at once familiar and uncanny. "Drown All the Evidence" is Americana, magnified, amplified, and wracked through with distortions of flagrant pleasure, punctuated by elegantly ragged, bruising solos. "Anyway" is a psychedelic charmer, a brightly colored panacea, recharging batteries in color and brilliance. The closer is the massive and melancholy "Window Pain". The blue pain and gray fog atmosphere of this song is punctuated by the rare use of keyboards, highlighting the feeling of loss and a damaged soul. Solos reminiscent of Ernie Isley rip through the gray morass in sharp, keen doses.

Overall this album delivers a massive load of essential feels. The music is nostalgic and new, familiar because it's crafted by masters of more than a decade of accomplishment, as well as fresh in a package of nascent material that expounds on a proven formula without a hint of staleness. It's a sound that hearkens back to the last decade when stoner rock was still new and Sasquatch were new kids on the block. The guitars come in every satisfying form, distorting the edges, and burning the center, tapping into those primal cords that run central to us all. Gibbs' vocals are solid, full of heft and strength, and forging soulful connections over and again. Fierceness and joy, the hallmarks of those who love the weapons they wield, are on perfect display through Casanova's masterful, subterranean riffs. And Riggs steps into what would normally be a massive void, shouldering expectations and delivering brilliance with his consummate rhythmic execution.

website <<|>> bandcamp <<|>> facebook <<|>> instagram <<|>> twitter

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

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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

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

7" Review: Aboleth - EP-I

Feast your eyes on that simple, beautiful album cover above. It's a bellwether for what is packaged inside. Los Angeles trio Aboleth have kicked off their career with a sweet three song 7" record simply titled EP-1, packed with explosive stoner rock magic that runs the gamut of tripping all the right triggers of outstanding stoner/desert/retro/blues rock.

The hard rocking trio include:

Brigitte Roka on vocals
Dan Joeright on drums
Collyn McCoy on baguitar

Baguitar? What the......? McCoy, stoner rock royalty from both Trash Titan and Ultra Electric Mega Galactic, has devised a new hybrid instrument that allows him to riff both ultra high and mega low. The sound of this beautiful invention is a runaway blitzkrieg thunder vortex, which McCoy unleashes from the jump on the first track, "No Good".

"No Good" is a tremendous introduction to Aboleth's sound as Joeright's skinskinning comes in alongside McCoy's baguitar monsoon licks to create a clean, athletic sound that stretches the boundaries of blues rock riffing. It pulls you in quickly with its brilliance before the door squeaks open for Roka's raspberry sweet and smoky bourbon vocals to ooze seamlessly into the mix, making a triumvirate of indigo crisp and mesmerizing stoner bliss. This song is raucous and well crafted, a whipsaw of thick multidimensional fuzz, a deluge of intriguing sound and melody.

Next up is "Corpsehunter", another onslaught of sound and craft, weaving melody with those unique baguitar riffs and Roka's pitch perfect vocals, vocals that simultaneously haunt and exhilarate. Closing out the thrill ride is "Captain Cheese", a nearly 7 minute psychedelic turn on a measured metal journey, impeccable in detail and nuance, and brilliant in deeply heartfelt exertion.

The sound Aboleth has crafted is simply exquisite. It's fine stoner/desert rock, but doesn't rest there on any laurels. The sound of the baguitar is equally exquisite, magnifying the energy and amplitude of standard fuzz riffage, which makes for a deeper than usual intrigue for the listener. Roka's vocals are unique. They contain both the sharp cutting edge of the finest of female vocals while tempering that keenness with an underlying ragged snarl that magnifies the appeal of the whole. And then there are the clean, clear, muscular rhythms of Joeright's drumwork, who manages to pull off the difficult task of making the underlying rhythm significant enough to be enjoyed without ever stepping on the magnificence of his cohorts' contributions. The three pillars upon which Aboleth are founded and upon which it stands are formidable in function, breathtaking in form, and a fantastically thrilling encounter.

Aboleth are in the studio cranking out their next wide spectrum stoner sojourn. Once this initial triple jam foray gets a bit of notoriety the anticipation for future releases will likely skyrocket. This first stage booster is powerful and magnificent and should pave the way for the explosive stages of future releases.

bandcamp ||  facebook || instagram

Band Submission: Sssssss!-Psychedelic Space Doom From Los Angeles, California

Band Name: Sssssss!
Genre: Space Doom
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Brief Bio/Description: We are female-fronted psychedelic rock from Los Angeles. Thick sounding 5-piece with winds and keys.
Influences are Blue Oyster Cult, Church of Misery, Joy Divsion, Black Sabbath, Hawkwind, Dinosaur Jr., Blood Ceremony, Blondie, Pink Floyd, etc...

Band Members:
Jilly Ann - Vocals/flute
Akiko Jones - Bass / Synth
Rick Goosewind - Guitar / Vocals
Richard Jones - Guitar
Gerry Hernandez - Drums / Vocals
Links: Web | Bandcamp | YouTube | Facebook

Album Review: Salem's Bend

The first great album of 2016 dropped on bandcamp shortly before Old Man 2015 changed Baby 2016's diaper, as it seems to happen quite frequently every year....the dropping of albums around Christmastime, not the baby body function maintenance.

Hailing from the great city of Los Angeles, California, Salem's Bend's self titled debut of 7 unique tracks is a breath of unique air to the underground stoner retro desert sound as these rockers have crafted some fine melodies around which they've wrapped gifted displays of musical execution in a fuzzy, heavy, crunchy, funky vein. The influences for these rockers are many and true as the low, heavy blues rock that soars down a retro desert highway in the doom of dusk exhilirates with their uncommon, singular sound.

Salem's Bend have stuffed some exquisite recordings in this initial rock offering. Each time I listen through it I find a new appreciation for the craft and style they've developed from their own experiences with rock giants of past and present, having absorbed the sounds from hours of listening to albums of the greats such as Zeppelin and Sabbath, as well as from recent behemoths like Kadavar, Earthless, and Hot Lunch. They have forged their own searing, raucous guitars, intense, deep bass, and athletic, punctuated stickwork around some of the most intelligently interesting melodies to float through the stonersphere in quite some time. It's a perfect blend of past, present, talent, and heart.

The album kicks off with a timeless pounder in "Balshazzar", a searing, primal scream of rhythmic delight. There are doomy delights such as "Queen of the Desert" and "A Tip of Salem", and the album practically soars with the lyrically exquisite "Losing Sleep" as well as with the pulse pounding "Mammoth Caravan". 

This album is timeless, ageless, and a perfect start to 2016. At present we look forward to what the year will bring in the form of spiritual musical deliverance. I daresay that in 12 short months when we reflect on what we enjoyed of 2016, we'll be speaking once again of "Salem's Bend"

bandcamp / facebook

Song of the Day-Ironaut-"Acid Wash"

"Acid Wash" is taken off of the recently released self-titled 5-song EP". Originally hailing from the midwest this three-piece decided to take their sonic devastation to the west coast. The song starts off with an ear-grabbing riff and then unleash this beast with a demonic snarl. Gritty, unapologetic, and tight as hell, this song rages with harmonic duel guitar, furious drumming and surprising melody. I can't stop listening to this shit! For more information, please check out the following links: Facebook | Bandcamp

Song of the Day-Ancient Altar-"Leader, Liar"

"Ancient Altar" is taken off of the latest release "Dead Earth" just released on September 3, 2015. In the song's 12-plus minutes, the band takes you on a journey down a path of grim and decaying reality with doomy riffs and apocalyptic amplitude delivered with an incensed ferocity. For more information, please check out the following links: Facebook | Midnite Collective

Sunday Sludge: Ancient Altar

It's been ages since Windows Media Player got any use on a computer I've used, but technology's progressions have their failures. When forced to revisit 1991, I realize I'd forgotten about the trippy visualizations accompanying and syncing with every note. Then I can't help but think some forty-something is still sitting fully-robed in his hazed apartment flicking ash, blazing through a pirated Primus album, and gaping as the orbs and geometrics pixel the fuck out.

Well, the heshers are gonna dig this. Psychedelia abounds on Ancient Altar's four-track doom-crusher, twenty-seven self-titled minutes of unrefined sludgedelia teeming with despair and leaving your skin flayed. Bookended with eerie, sullen doom foundations and stuffed to the gullet with buoyant homages and burning sustain, this debut just might set fire to your panties.

The opening screeches of Tidal are jarred by dual vocals, combining Mike IX torment with cold, dark promise spewing from a mudhole. The back-and-forth is deep, low, squalid... y'know, all those descriptors you're gonna need if you try to explain the sound to someone who hasn't heard it. Guitars worm and weave between the rhythm's supports, but as elements tighten their bonds, they also fatten their breadbaskets and throw themselves into the pioneering sounds of forty years ago.

Ominous, isolated brooding on Ek Balam carves a path straight into a shadow-cruise of Kyuss's El Rodeo. We're involuntarily tugged west until the gurgle crawls from a pit of wet sand. There's no avoiding getting wrapped in humming, hanging tapestries beyond the ugliness. The sludge-doom despair, however, takes marquee billing with fully realized drawn-and-quartered anguish. But what the fuck? Swamp-assed stoner-sludge breaks the clouds on Feed, taking us in an entirely unexpected direction a la Grizzly in its head-swiveled trot. As sweet as it is sticky, the choppy militant movements enter Sabbath's Electric Funeral (y'know, that fucking awesomely frantic one-minute passage sandwiched between thick slabs) and listeners will be flat-out fucking stoked. Spit, sputter, and laugh with your greasy pals as the engine smolders roadside. It was worth it.

When it was assured "The oceans will consume," you were given no reason to doubt. You're still dizzy from the album's inspired midsection, but Pulled Out (grow up, dude) is a sunken-eyed tug soothing yesterday's open wounds. The promise of pendulumic doom is delivered upon with a steady descent into filth. Weary and weathered? Fuck, Ancient Altar offer one final acid heave, bubbling our skin as we gaze upward. By the time they toss us down a concrete staircase, we're half-snuffed anyway.

Don't worry about that exposed bone. And don't let knobby labels fool you. Doom out all you want, but Ancient Altar offer a vast expanse of soiled soundscapes. Crashing doom with swirling, torrid-clip chasers of stoner metal, complete with frayed ends and shifted gears. Strap on your ear goggles but for fuck's sake, turn off the tie-dye spiraled media player before you get bedspins. On this wholly flattening debut, we're enticed, we're drawn closer, and we're ultimately swallowed by what we're unable to predict.

For fans of: Black Seal, Boar, Skepticism
Pair with: BackMasking Oatmeal Stout, Three Floyds Brewing

Facebook | Bandcamp | Pre-Order

Sunday Sludge: Deathkings - "Destroyer"

So this vinyl swing had to show up and fuckin' ruin everything, huh? Oh, multiple color schemes, bonus tracks, digital download coupons, limited releases, alternate artwork... I'm guilty of nodding into all this nerdy shit, but I'll never lose sight of the importance of actually immersing myself in the sounds spit from the grooves. Fuck the naysayers, but fuck the purists, too. And c'mon, Mastodon. Seventy clams for a "limited edition" LP?

When LA's ambient sludge-doom foursome Deathkings decided to press their 2011 Destroyer triptych to vinyl, they had to surgicalize it just a bit. That meant splitting the staggering, unsettling Martyrs into two tracks. Strangely, nothing's lost in the transition and both volumes swing with concrete fists. Vol. I proves bulkier, heaving lead repetitively and bloodying as much as it numbs. Sean Spindler's drums are absolutely assaulted, while scraping guitars pit listeners against a wall and stuff their mouths with stones.

The violence never relents and the whole of part one is loaded with abandoned hope. Promise is jarred loose and despite the rhythmic shift toward lifted sounds, we're prepared to re-descend. Vol. II serves an awesome drone hover peppered with drums and crushed by massive doom slabs. The reverberating static tightens to spew sludgy despair that's downright vile. The mud is given time to crust over just until cracks emerge.

The collective thirty minute bookends of Halo Of The Sun and the closing title track are swollen, fragmented journeys into dark, primitive reflection. The opener's despondent atmospheres deliver a collective melancholy that just won't fade, cascading with riffs and chugging toward seasoned, penetrative barks. Bleak static glazes the track, hanging and spreading enough to make us shudder. Slowly burning and sliding toward earthier elements, the progressions are unmoved by the choppy seas ahead. And soothing as they are, the merciful closing chants offer more dread than anything.

Heavy in both form and function is the closing title track, sounding as much like a funeral chant as a backwoods sacrifice. Buzzing through what seems like lifetimes is a boiling angst, spilling until the emergence of a cruel death-rattle. Echoed licks splinter into shards and the swinging doom pendulum marries the very real, sobering vocal. As the Earth scorches, the album delivers on its promises. Wider at each breath and thicker with every lurch, the sludge-doom carry-out is a brilliant, punchy final gasp.

Destroyer lays a low rumble that sits heavy in the chest, never quite making its way out of dense, nebulous cavern. Each of these three tracks is its own journey, none of them leading toward the sun. But cold reality has its place here, and the austere metering is drawn-out just enough to soften the sting. If the promised follow-up is another enduring slug to the back of the head, we welcome it in our swooning trance.

For fans of: Neurosis, Rwake, Sunn O)))
Pair with: Darkness Russian Imperial Stout, Surly Brewing Co.

Pre-Order | Site | Facebook | Bandcamp

New Band To Burn One To: SLUT MACHINE

HEAVY PLANET presents... SLUT MACHINE!

BAND BIO:

Slut Machine is a blasting Heavy Rock quintet.

Born by fall 2009, the fellas put on an uncompromising rock style combining the heaviness and the roughness of Stoner Metal Riffs to the melody & energy of true Rock & Roll.

In February 2010, just 2 months after their first rehearsal, they recorded 6 tunes featured on "Welcome to the Machine" EP (May 2010).

This allowed them to win the "Tremplin Made in Jura" leading to the recording of the second EP at the Studio Cube (Besançon) on spring 2011.

"Into the Eye of the Storm", a mashup of these two records, was issued on September 10th on Dell Rusk Records / Deadlight Entertainment (Flashfalcon, Los Disidentes del Sucio Motel).

Highly noticed for their burning live performances, they always bring their audience to a fever pitch.

Tank joined the band by the begining of 2012.

After the great experience of recording in a studio, they decided to come back to the roots of sound, by giving birth to a new EP untitled "From Blind to Blue". This shit was recorded on their own, DIY Style on their rehearsal basement and was unleashed on April, 14th 2012 by free digital download.

So you'd better get ready to enter into the eye of their storm !

Ladies and Gentelmen, Welcome to the machine!

SLUT MACHINE:

Rick : Guitar / Lead Vocals / Bonnet

Matt : Guitar / Backing Vocals / Parkour

Sky : Guitar / Backing Vocals / Capuche

Tank : Bass / Backing Vocals / Outrage / Moustache

Noune : Drums / Coupé Décalé

THOUGHTS:
"Ok, I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I first saw that the name of this band is Slut Machine. For some reason, flashbacks of eighties Glam metal went running through my head. Once I hit play my mind was set at ease. The warm fuzzy tone of the guitar gently buzzed as the driving beat satisfied my need for some righteous Stoner metal tunes. And that they are! This French band elegantly mixes high-flying stoner rock riffage with a nineties heavy rock mentality. Influences from The Truckfighters to Foo Fighters can be heard throughout this gratifying slab of Stoner metal debauchery. Download this shit for FREE on Bandcamp!"
((facebook|bandcamp))

New Band To Burn One To: JESSIE DELUXE

Heavy Planet Presents . . .   JESSIE DELUXE!

Band Bio:

Jessie Deluxe describes her sound as heavy, melodic rock. Her songwriting is dynamic and powerful, featuring choruses that "lift you high in the air and then smash you back down into the ground". This is 'in your face' rock n roll that conjures up the grittiness of P.J. Harvey and the sex appeal of Elvis, all the while adding her own unique edge.

This fiery front woman packs an authoritative punch live with her amazing voice. As she shreds on her Flying V, she commands the audience with the conviction of a rock icon. It is no surprise this L.A. based band has become well known for high energy shows and electric performances.

As for her background, Jessie has garnered the attention of various producers such as David Rowntree (Blur), Dave Jerden (Jane's Addiction, Poe), and Geza X (Sonic Youth). Her influences range from Hendrix, David Bowie, Annie Lennox, to NIN.

Thoughts:

Jessie is a driven rocker who without a doubt plays a deluxe brand of rock n roll. Big guitar, big vocals, high energy, and classic rock sounds that harken to garage, grrrl power, grunge, stoner, and sixties rock, bundling it all up in her own high voltage overture and dynamite presence. She has enlisted the mighty bass services of Sasquatch's Cas, who will only heighten the sound of the great songs Jessie writes as well as complement her nimble, lightning bolt guitar licks. Jessie Deluxe is currently writing and recording, as well as touring, so they are looking to release something new early in the coming year. The new release is bound to be a gunpowder keg of dynamite rock, but in order to satisfy an appetite of in your face riffage and on fire metal mayhem that unleashes a ton of energy, fury, and fun sink your teeth in the meantime into Vol. I, available on Jessie Deluxe's website.

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

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 )))

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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 )))

Sunday Sludge: All Hail The Yeti

Some of us don't have a way out. Whether it's lack of talent, lack of ambition, or a debilitating birth defect, some lives are pushed into a Volvo, a suit, and a plastic perma-smile that come with the sting and the stain of getting comfortable with the mundane. Like mental patients who don't realize they're mental, a gleeful plug through life with all the trimmings is where some people inadvertently wind up.

There are those, however, who claw at a means of escape and discover the trail of sweat and shit they've left behind has bred their ascent. Los Angeles-based All Hail The Yeti have managed to crack expectations and trends, crafting a sound more consistent with misty bogs than smoggy dreams. With an ever-expanding fan base and a reputation for wet and wild live performances, it's safe to say there's been more than a few whispers about the band's self-title debut, due August 28th (US).

If the disc's starter is any indication of what the rest of the album promises, listeners can sling this one over their backs and let it set up camp. The immediate attack of Deep Creek's double kick-drums and buzzing riffs hits straight in the sternum. Slung low and dragged through the murk, the filthy uptempo groove remains thick and sticky while Connor Garritty's layered vocal scratch-and-claw pierces membranes. This relentlessly brutal grime assault is not to be taken lightly.

Characterized by a meld of groove and vitriol, the album contains elements of sludge, stoner metal, murder metal, and thrash. The compliance commanded by Bloodguilt yanks the sludge rhythm from its chair through punishing tempos and embattled vocals. Drawing blood with broken nails, Craw NeQuent's riffs punctuate a murky landscape and, at times, echo the slice and pullback of trademark Dimebag. A boiled-down sludge plod on Ruby Ridge (Every Knee Shall Bow) is loaded with static. The push-pull rhythm slugs at your temple and greets your bare, blistered hands with a hot weapon.The sludge grind canvased under the sound is blended with hardcore influences for a fresh sound that will appeal to many.

Employing audio clips from Session 9, The Weak and Wounded (Prelude to Flames) is the creepiest thing you'll hear today. Loaded with atmosphere, it's the perfect lead-in to After the Great Fire. Slow, trippy, and tight with focus, the near-grieving choir would create an almost anthemic tone were it not for the creep-factor salvation. Vocals growl and croon, guitars wax and wane, and a sludgy crunch demonstrate the band's prowess and limitless ability.

We all love a swampy-bayou sludge smear. The snapping twigs, chirping crickets, and southern front-porch croon of The Art of Mourning cedes to the Jekyll and Hyde grind, which challenges for the title of best track on the album. Listeners are blissfully torn on who to follow, while harmonic relent is greeted with a machine gun retribution. Let's just call this one a near-tutorial on backwoods resolve.

Buzzing stoner tempo clings to the back of a rusty Ford on I Am Wendigod, dominated by riffs and an echo-vocal extension. Burning your face on the carpet, this is the disc's most accomplished demonstration of structuring an entire track around groove. And speaking of buzz, Axe Murder Hollow flits and shits like flaming gnats. At the onset, there's a slow pluck forming a fuzzy canvas of despair. Nicholas Diltz allows for a choppy stoner-sludge bass drawl peppered with Skylar Feigel's kick-drum bloodletting. All Hail The Yeti spit and stomp with Copenhagen confidence and Busch Light bravado, chugging and churning through sticky, heady Louisiana cotton fields.

When the Sky Falls buzzes steadily under Garritty's channeling of Mike Muir, though the vocal tandem reveals a fresh haunt. Suicide Woods, loaded with fuzzy groove, is steady with thumping twists and crunchy, lumbering riffage. And the funeral caravan of descending moods on Judas Cradle swarms with the simmer of late night terror. Swaying with gravity, this closer pulls in a multitude of directions, breaks into a misty whisper of cymbals, and ultimately leaves our bodies in a grove of wooded serenity.

All Hail The Yeti manage to separate themselves from a sea of sludge metal, stoner metal, and hardcore bands who are big on hope and short on ability. Every element here is not only relevant, but essential. The sound owes its debts to identifiable influences, though it's safe to say nobody has sounded quite like this. Malevolence is rarely met with this much groove, while the sludge is never laid too thick. The songs are well-structured and well-realized, with not one single track serving as filler. Put this one on your radar. These guys saved themselves from Hollywood. Maybe they'll save the rest of us, too.

Facebook | Twitter | Myspace | Reverbnation | Youtube

Rock n’ Roll Salvation Festival

Rock n’ Roll Salvation Festival
Saturday September 18th
5PM Door | Blue Star 2200 East 15th St. Downtown LA 90021 | 18+ | $10

From the dark shadows of vacant buildings and the settled dirty dust of downtown Los Angeles, there is a beacon of light. Behold, a rising star shining in the midst of cracked black tar & tetanus-laden rust, The Blue Star Bar.

This is where Armadillicious Music will be honoring the holiest of holy. It is our homage to the one and only guitar god, Jimi Hendrix, on this anniversary date of his heading to the great beyond. We are proud to bring you a feverish, frenzied, tent revival Rock n’ Roll time; a musical rendition reminiscent of the faithful speaking in tongues, caterwauling snake handlers and sinners lining up in droves for a dose of Rock n’ Roll Salvation. These bands will baptize you into the realm of the sonic spirit. Your soul will be washed clean by the sheer force of the Rock n’ Roll.

We are thrilled to bring you the following:

FIREBALL MINISTRY – The tent thunders with the shouts of the devotees who beg for a release from their mundane existence. The pleas ring out for a break from the ties that bind them to their mortal coil. They have the belief in something greater and that which is greater is known as the mighty Fireball Ministry, who are dyed-in-the-wool, resolute believers of the Rock and the Roll. With a brand new Self titled, Restricted Release album in the holsters, Fireball Ministry are ordained in the Mack truck version of "Swing Low Sweet Chariot". They will drive over you to reach salvation, dragging the empty shell of your body behind as your spirit reaches new heights into the black darkness of the beyond. Your hands will bleed at the palms while you try to hang on to what you know. Your stigmata will not save you; your faith will not save you. The only thing that will save you is the Rock which they are delivering; tearing your flesh from bone to bombard your soul. Beware, they are holy knights bent on delivering you from this wretched life.

http://www.fireballministry.com/

SASQUATCH - Wreaking havoc on those who lack faith, Sasquatch lead the way by brandishing their fiery sword of rock n' roll. With their third Smallstone release, unleashed on the unsuspecting masses, no longer do you hear the trumpets of heaven calling; you’re now brought to eternal rest by a trio of destruction. 70's hard rock mixed with a dash of metal carried by an unmistakable undercurrent of psychedelic sounds permeate their songs. You are anointed at the alley entrance of the not-so-pearly gates. Since you are not worthy, the one and only casts you back out because these angels haven’t finished recalling your sins and as they hold you hostage with a super-heavy, bone-crunching onslaught, you are reminded why the meek inherit nothing. Sasquatch will not only knock you on your ass, their collective boot will keep you pinned to the ground while the angry fist of the righteous pummels your face.

www.myspace.com/sasquatchrocks

HALLOWED ENGINE - Southern fried thick riffs and nonstop energy are brought to the stage with a vengeance. Be prepared to be brought to your knees by the gospel of their guitar-driven, bass-heavy, groove-laden tunes. These are further enhanced by lead singing bass player Laurie Es, whose voice is tailor-made for rock n' roll courtesy of a church choir that could only have been formed by the devil himself. All of these components fit perfectly into the steamrolling sound that is Hallowed Engine as they careen down the path of sin. This is a testimony to the down-home, homegrown feeling which is brought about when you know you’re being so, so bad but it feels oh so good.

www.myspace.com/hallowedengine

SYLVIA JUNCOSA – She preaches the gospel by way of SG as she leads the unsuspecting lambs to slaughter. Her veracity untainted by the years she’s been manipulating six strings; the only truth is the truth of her boundless energy, her brilliant playing, her ferocious attack and the tender love of it all. After a long sabbatical, she’s returned to bring the uninitiated to the altar with the blistering hymns of those who know no other tongue. with a A lofty resume of SST recordings, Sylvia's beneficence is exalted by way of rapturous rock. She not only leads the way, she carves the path. Do not forget, it’s not a guitar in her hands; it’s an instrument of the gods.

http://www.sylviajuncosa.com/

TRASH TITAN – Blues was born into the world through suffering. This band stands on the pulpit of that pain and sings right through your soul. The agony of your very existence is spoken for through the musical bounty of blessings you will receive whilst this band recalls those who have come before them. There is no theft here mind you; this band honors those who died for the sake of this sound. They have wiped the beads of sweat from their brow with rags dipped in the holy water mixture of whiskey and gasoline. From the consecrated cocktail of drunken devotion, we rise to behold their glory.

www.myspace.com/trashtitan

ZINNGESCHREI – The tongue twisting name is German and describes the sound of mechanically manipulated tin. However, the word is a misnomer when it comes to this band. There is nothing tinny about their sound. Ethereal yet with enough crushing gravitational mass to rival a black hole; their deeply hypnotic, angelic resonance rebounds through the vast dark matter of our minds. One listen is never enough. Their musical orbit propelled by the 12 heavenly notes circle the galaxy of one ear to another and the next thing you know, eons have gone by.

www.myspace.com/zinngeschreiband

This is a Rock n’ Roll Revival of the highest order. We promise to ignite and inflame the passion of the soul of Los Angeles' bonafide down n' dirty rock n' roll. These musical saviors of sonic fortune keep the true spirit alive. Show up and praise all that is ROCK. We will leave you on your knees shaking with the sounds of salvation!

The camp meeting begins at 6:00 PM and a mere $10.00 dollars guarantees you’ll be inscribed in the book of life for the following year. There’s no need to fast either as you’ll find tasty, cheap eats for a mere buck as we move you to heaven.

The Blue Star Bar is located at 2200 E. 15th Street in downtown Los Angeles, 90021 and is easily accessed from the 10 Fwy.