EP Track Stack: KING BOLETE - CANIBALES - GOATSCHLAGER - MAD CHICKEN

There are lots of quality EPs out there, both from known and established bands as well as from artists just trying to get something out there that might garner interest in what they've newly created. This is a classic case of intentionally avoiding the use of labels or identifiers and instead judging something based on its own merits. If an album has only two tracks, but those 2 tracks are pretty damn tasty, then I'm glad they've released it so I can enjoy. So, in the spirit of enjoying what's been made available, here are 4 EPs that provide only 10 tracks between them, but they're ten tracks worth your time because chances are there will be pleasure gained, satisfaction achieved, and perhaps a newfound interest in something of which you weren't aware yet was out there.

King Bolete hail from the Warrior Isles of England...and beyond that not much is known about this newly formed band. Their music is a straight up psychedelic stoner blues rock fuzzorama. What they've given us here is too short and extremely sweet. Hopefully more is to follow soon.

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Canibales is a three man band from Guadalajara, Mexico. They are veterans of stoner blues rock having formed back in 2005 and having released several albums in the interim. The music is primal and addictive. Luckily they have a sizable library on which to feed that addiction starting with the two ass-romping tracks on this new EP.

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Goatschlager, a four piece from Northern Ireland, have featured on Heavy Planet before as a New Band To Burn One To in 2016 with an initial 4 track EP, "Space Apache - Vol. I". Earlier this year they released another 4 track EP, "Dirt Mammal - Vol. II", and now this 2 track beauty "Welcome to Hog Valley" which they say was borne of the creative process for their impending "Vol. III". The music is heavy, hard, deep, and destructive, grinding out stoner vibes and subterranean riffs in memorable melody.

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Mad Chicken, are last but not least. This is a 4 track blitzkrieg of heavy metal from a 5 man Brazilian power troupe, expertly delivering an amalgam of every type of hard rock you may have listened to over the past 4 decades. Incomparable vocals lead the way for twin guitars of explosive fury and a rhythm section of shock and awe.

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New Band To Burn One To: Goatschlager

It has been a while since we’ve wrapped our ears around some new funky hard stoner rock, probably not since the last Clutch record. However, there are some grooving beats emanating from Northern Ireland’s Goatschlager which has our ears pricked and knees-a-swayin’. The Ballymena four-piece are raw, but they play a sound reminiscent of said Earth Rockers with a slightly more spaced out vibe running through their meaty hooks and bouncing riffs. Their debut offering Space Apache Vol 1 is direct and to the point; the want you to get down and dirty to their funky grooves, and even in our aging bodies, we feel compelled to oblige. There’s enough partying here to go round!

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Album Review: Triggerman - "Hail to the River Gods"

Hailing from Derry, Northern Ireland come a hard hitting, rock breaking, sledge hammer of a band that has one goal in mind when cranking out their seven splendid tunes on the new release, “Hail to the River Gods” and that’s to . . . well, to ROCK! Plain and simple. Their music is plain and simple, by design, but not at the expense of any detail for it is overflowing with energy and power, craft and material. The effort is there, in spades. The talent is there, they are a mightily gifted foursome. The skill is there, these guys have put in the time. They have very carefully, and whole-heartedly crafted a collection of tunes that play heavy on the loud, on a central theme of huge guitars, of granite splitting trap set ricochets, of the earthquake rumble of an all out battery of bass riffs, of a front man soliloquy surrounded by the blitzkrieg assault of fully loaded instrumentation, all wrapped up in a party atmosphere carefully crafted from painstaking care in songcraft and delivery.

Triggerman consist of:

Bap on Vocals and Guitar
Niall on Guitar
Rory on Drums
Dixie on Bass

These guys play hard and play well, with a fierceness and a joy that is the hallmark of great rock.

The album is huge, with seven meaty songs that will have you wearing a whiplash collar the following day. They start the album off with “Rage of the Goddess”, calling in all rubes with a promise of heavy riffs and fire inducing solos, slammed into a box of deep bass, and pounded shut with a thousand drumbeats.

“Rise of the Woodsman” is fast and fuzzy, led by huge guitars and Bap’s Carny Bark vocals that drive it all home.

The title track, “Hail to the River Gods” is third, picking up the same huge and heavy sound of its predecessors, this time delivering a gung ho melody of inspiration and adventure.

“Th’on Strange Brew” is tight and fun, a jab, jab, hook type of rhythm that delivers big on sound and enjoyment.

Next up is “The Flower of Life”, following the tried and true formula already established, just a fun and heavy construction of complex guitars and hard hitting drums, wrapped up in a thunder of bass riffage.

Time to deliver even louder, bigger, harder, faster because the outcome of number six is to “Wake the Dead”. Are they successful? Hell Yeah!! This hairy adventure is full of fury and fun.

The closer is a long slow build up of power and angst, building step by step to a huge, compelling climax of what Triggerman deliver best - straight up guitars as big as Hell, hard pounding drums, heavy granite busting bass, and a no frills vocal delivery.

This album is nothing but pure and unadulterated metal, delivering finely crafted rock that is rock as it should be. It is roaring thunder and crashing tidal waves, freight trains rolling across the night desert through a maelstrom of hail and crashing lightning. It is the constant staccato rhythm of big city construction pounding relentlessly away at concrete and steel. It is the spartan assault of 2 guitars, bass, drums, and unique vocal delivery that form the phalanx for a lean and brutal assault on the senses. It is music you can drink whiskey to, music you can pound your fist to, music you can party to, music you can fornicate to, raw and primal, with the pure essence and power of man in peak primordial form.

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New Band To Burn One To: BALEFUL CREED

HEAVY PLANET presents...BALEFUL CREED!

BAND BIO:

Baleful Creed are a four piece band from Belfast ready to pour out their classic rock influenced tunes in a passionate live performance. Featuring a dual guitar team that lay down head-nodding chunky riffs that touch on the Stoner Rock sounds of Black Sabbath, Danzig and Fireball Ministry topped off with soulful vocals that are fuelled by the powerful bass and drum rhythm section.



THOUGHTS:

"If you like your music heavy, soulful and played with passion then let your speakers fill the room with Northern Ireland's Baleful Creed.  Fierce dual-guitar driven hard rock with a southern flare and classic rock riffing is the inspiration for the 5 songs contained on their latest EP "Buried Beneath". For a monumental ass-whoopin' check out lead track "Baleful Creed' as well as the smokin' EP closer "Suffer in Silence". I'm gonna go out on a limb and say this band puts on one hell of a live show. Oh, and don't let the fact that they have the word Creed in their band name fool you. Now it's your turn to crank this mother!"

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