Zac's Top Ten of 2013

I don't care much for Bruce Springsteen... however he had some killer tunes, especially The Seeger Sessions. Here are my favorite releases of 2013.

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Preferred EPs:

Katla: I Will Hunt You / Foaming Waters

Surprise, surprise, surprise! More great music from Sweden. This female lead quartet seduced me with their acid blues influenced dark psych. I Will Hunt You and Foaming Waters was released on a special 7" by Who Can You Trust? Records. They only pressed 500 copies, so if you missed out earlier this year you may be S.O.L. Be sure to check Who Can You Trust? Records web-store for this one and a hand-ful of other Heavy Planet favorites.

Stand-out track: Foaming Waters

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The Wans: The Wans EP

My second Preferred EP of 2013 belongs to Nashville Tennessee's The Wans. My love for this trios Tenneessee brethern, All Them Witches, blessed me with an introduction to this "feel good" / get your rocks off EP. Don't miss my favorite track Want You with all its southern swagger and rhythmic wandering.

Stand-out track: Want You

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Favorite Full-Length Releases:

010: Black Sabbath - 13

It's Black Sabbath. Tony's still got it.

Stand-out track: Age Of Reason

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009: Supervoid: Filaments

Sometimes the city of Pittsburgh might be guilty of displaying too much pride. I try to be humble for the most part, but I can proudly proclaim musical victory for this city with Supervoid and their progressive, sludge-tastic release Filaments. Releasing a conceptual, "interstellar road trip" of a metal album earlier this year Supervoid are off to an epic start. My apologizies to lead vocalist Brian for describing his performance on Wake of the Smoke Jumper in my write-up earlier this year as female vocals. That is just how dynamic this man's vocal abilities are though folks.

Stand-out track: Wake of the Smoke Jumper

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008: Cavern: S/T

I warned you. Cavern would rear its ugly head come years end and here we are. This authentic release full of sludgy thrashing has stood the test of time and continually battered my ears senseless. I'll show no remorse if you have yet to lend your ears to this Maryland trio and their RIFF lashing.

Stand-out track: Far Beyond Fields and Evergreens

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007: Summoner: Atlantian

Summoner is the first band to land on my year end list two years in a row. Last year's Pheonix was well rounded and full of stoner and desert rock and haunting, psychedelic fuzz. Atlantian takes the genius that was Pheonix and enhances the formula. Take the Nuclear Dog's words, here you will find "polished psych-edged licks of ingenuity" and "raw-boned riffs". Check out the rest of the review for a better idea of what awaits on Atlantian.

Stand-out track: Under the Crystalline Sky

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006: Clutch: Earth Rocker

Earth Rocker simply kicks ass. An all out attack of blues inspired rock and roll fronted by some of the best vocals, defended by some of the grooviest guitar work, and founded on some of the best rhythmic percussion in the business. "If you're gonna do it, you better take it to the stage."

Stand-out tracks: D.C. Sound Attack!, The Face, The Wolf Man Kindly Requests...

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005: Black Wizard: Young Wisdom

The under-dog of 2013 lands at my number five spot. As I described earlier this year... Black Wizard are "like a sleazier, Nordic version of Guns 'N Roses" that rock blazing guitars accompanied by a rhythmic cavalry. Here new listeners will find raw vocals, blistering RIFFS, and even some spacey Radiohead-esque interludes. If you missed Young Wisdom upon its release back in June, now is the time to familiarize yourself with Adam Grant and company and their debut full-length Young Wisdom.

Stand-out track: Wicked Wanderer

*For those readers that truly dug Black Wizard, please check out Adam's other project Three Wolf Moon.

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004: Anciients: Heart Of Oak

There is so much to say about Heart Of Oak... the excellent progression and transformation of each track, the completely killer blackened-death like vocals, the strike of each drum head or cymbal strike, the intracate and yet groovy RIFFs, the bluesy Gilmour meets Allman picking! What an excellent release! Kenny Cook and the gang have out-done themselves with Heart Of Oak and Anciients first release.

Stand-out tracks: Overthrone, For Lisa

*Kenny is also a part of our number five spot Black Wizard. That is beyond groovy.

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003: Pelican: Forever Becoming

I completely fell in love with this album the moment my eyes graced the album artwork. Could I be considered a Pelican fan-boy. I guess so. But how is that a bad thing? Forever Becoming is simply another phenomenal release by the best instrumental band. Period. Will you always be in the mood for albums of this magnitude? Probably not. Will you always walk away with a new impression or new ideas after experiencing a piece of art so authentic? Most certainly. Pelican rules. Welcome to the show Dallas.

Stand-out track: Perpetual Dawn

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002: All Them Witches: Lightning At The Door

Still full of that vibrant southern soul All Them Witches produce their very own Psyche-a-delta Rock with immense confidence and swagger. Mr. Staebler's drumming genius has only grown in skill and charisma while the infectious RIFFING will keep you coming back for more. If I might take a line from my favorite track Charles William, "I wanna take you home... everyday.".

Stand-out track: Charles William

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001: Kylesa: Ultraviolet

I've really grown with Kylesa in their past three releases. Ultraviolet hit me hard upon first spin and has stuck with me throughout all of 2013. These guys and gal, "display their full mainpulation of sonic frequency" here on Ultraviolet and do it with class in a sub-five-minute dark pop, dream sludge tone. I knew this was my favorite album of 2013 immediately, I don't even think album opener Exhale was half way through its three minute run time when I realized it. The quintet have recorded an album that grows in experimentation as it does with time. New to the sound are some spacey psychedelics and Ms. Pleasants totally lovely clean vocals. Something you may be familiar with... the tribal and unchaining sound of Carl McGinley and Eric Hernandez's dual percussion.

Stand-out tracks: Exhale, We're Taking This

Toby's Top Ten of 2012

Well here we are again at the precipice of a new year, which of course means that it’s time to reflect on the past 12 months and ponder those albums that evoked the most emotion within each of us. As you read through these “best of 2012” lists, you’ll undoubtedly notice a variety of artists and albums from each member of the Heavy Planet staff. And that my friends, is a good thing. In fact, it’s what I love so much about music and why I find it to be such a beautiful thing…the sheer variety to be found in it…its openness to interpretation…and most of all, the art of it. Keep in mind that even though these are all amazing collections of music that I thoroughly recommend checking out, this list should be taken with a grain of salt as it would likely look completely different if I put it together tomorrow. With that, I give you my greatest hits from 2012.

10) Trippy Wicked & the Cosmic Children of the Knight – Going Home

On Going Home, this UK three-piece delivered a massive slab of fuzz n roll that featured captivating melodies, powerful vocals, crunchy guitars and…trumpets? Yep, just when you thought the album’s eight minute title track couldn’t get any more epic, Trippy Wicked broke out the horns (mellotron?) and elevated their sound from standard, everyday riff-rock to the type of soaring, metal anthems that have been known to induce goose-bumps in many a listener. Whether it was the intense vibe of songs like “Up the Stakes” and “Go Outside” or the more carefree odes to self medication that made up the album’s mid-section, the band displayed a unique knack for mixing bluesy grit with low end groove and the result was an album that drilled its way into my cranium and stayed there throughout 2012.

9) Band of Skulls - Sweet Sour

I figure I'll probably get all sorts of shit for this one, but I can't lie to you, I was mesmerized by the mixture of heavy blues and sticky sweet harmonies that this UK trio laid down on Sweet Sour. In fact, I'm kind of shocked that the "indie rock" community has seemingly embraced this band while the "stoner rock" faithful have largely ignored them. Maybe I'm missing something, but fuck it…I dig this shit. You can hear what I mean on the title track, which opens the album with a guitar lick reminiscent of Hendrix and builds in intensity into a full-on blooze-fest. "Bruises" opens with an admittedly poppy male/female sing along, but transitions into a straight-up head nodding, foot stomping rock song. "Wanderluster" is similar in it's build up and when it hits its stride, you'd be lying if you said you weren't moving to it. But it's the riffs that ultimately landed Band of Skulls in my top 10 of 2012. Just check out "The Devil Takes Care of His Own", "Lies" or the final couple of minutes of "Lay My Head Down" and you'll see…yeah you'll see.

8) Orange Goblin – A Eulogy for the Damned

Another UK band, the mighty Orange Goblin finally resurfaced this year and unleashed album number seven after what seemed like an eternity since we’d last heard from them. Beginning with the buzz saw guitars and thunderous rhythm section of “Red Tide Rising”, Ben Ward and company wasted no time reintroducing us to the psychedelic biker metal that’s helped to build the Goblin a legion of fans over the last fifteen plus years. From the galloping riffs of “The Fog” to the soulful, southern rock of “Save Me from Myself”, Eulogy was like listening to Skynyrd riff on Sabbath after a night of binge drinking. Throw in a dose of experimentation, like on “Return to Mars” where the band grooves out enough to almost be considered funky and vocals that sound like a boozed up Lemmy after gargling with broken glass, and you’ve got yourself one hell of a record.

7) Deftones - Koi No Yokan

Some will likely argue that Deftones have no business being on a top ten list of the best stoner, doom, sludge and psychedelic rock albums of the year. I would counter that their noisy experimentations with everything from nu-metal to post-metal and from drone to shoegaze makes them a perfect candidate for what we do here at Heavy Planet. Furthermore, after surviving possibly the worst casualty a band can undergo (their original bassist Chi Cheng has yet to fully recover from a 2008 car accident that left him comatose), Deftones retooled with Sergio Vega of Quicksand fame, released the phenomenal 2010 album Diamond Eyes and toured with the likes of Baroness, Alice in Chains and Mastodon. If none of that whets your appetite for Koi No Yokan, then go ahead and skip ahead to number six. Songs like "Romantic Dreams" and "Poltergeist" feature overwhelmingly heavy riffs and crisp drumming combined with vocalist Chino Moreno's signature blend of aggressive screeching and blissful crooning. And songs like "Swerve City" and "Tempest" keep the riffs monolithic while introducing an ethereal, Cure-like feel to the album. Going on twenty-five years as a band, Deftones continue to push the envelope and reinvent themselves and with Koi No Yokan, they stay well within the heavy music spotlight and are well deserving of a spot on this list.

6) Greenleaf – Nest of Vipers

It’s hard to believe that Greenleaf started as a side-project of sorts for various members of the Swedish bands Dozer and Truckfighters. The lineup has changed since their inception, but this incarnation still maintains former members of both bands and after hearing Nest of Vipers, we can only hope that this "project" has become their priority. Paying homage to the likes of Thin Lizzy, Deep Purple and even Zeppelin (tell me that guitar solo on "Dream Catcher" doesn't remind you of Jimmy Page) while staying true to the desert rock sound that originally put each of these guys on the map, Greenleaf have created a true gem with Nest of Vipers. It doesn't get much better than album opener "Jack Staff" where the guitars are the musical equivalent of cotton candy, the percussion a symphony of rolling toms and crash cymbals and the vocals a display of range and register all the while staying appropriately buried in the overall mix. From moody and atmospheric ("Tree of Life") to radio ready alt-rock ("Sunken Ships"), Greenleaf leaves no stone unturned, no matter how small.

5) King Giant - Dismal Hollow

It's a tribute to how good Dismal Hollow is that it was released way back in January 2012 and now, a year later, it still finds a well deserved place on this list. Essentially laying the foundation for King Giant's music is the land they call home, which happens to be the Appalachian foothills of Virginia. The album melds a slew of harrowing tales, including Civil War battles, vengeful victims of spousal abuse and old Southern bootleggers with bluesy dual guitar work, a gut busting rhythm section and vocals raspier than your granddad after a pack of smokes. Dismal Hollow puts Virginia on the southern metal map kind of like Crowbar, Down and their ilk did for NOLA. After the release of this album, the band was hit with a streak of bad luck as both guitarists suffered violent injuries in unrelated incidents that essentially rendered the band out of commission for most of the year. Here's to a healthier 2013 for King Giant and to finally getting the slow southern steel that is Dismal Hollow out on the road.

4) Summoner - Phoenix

Boston's Summoner (formerly Riff Cannon) play a wonderfully loud blend of doom, stoner and psychedelic on their latest album Phoenix and it is not to be missed. Dual guitars that simultaneously interweave heavy-as-fuck riffing with dreamy noodling (check out "Winged Hessians") combine with thunderous drums, pummeling bass and throat wrenching vocals. The band stops and starts on a dime (see "Conjuring") and they aren't afraid to experiment with tempo shifts and a variety of dynamics within any one particular song. Furthermore, Summoner can kick your ass quickly, such as "The Interloper" which fires out of the gates…well…like a cannon. Or they can take their time in doing so, like they do on the epic "Let the Light In" which patiently builds, then batters you unmercifully and then evolves into a beautiful coda that carries the song through its nine minute run time. Look, when I found out Heavy Planet would be hosting a CMJ Showcase in New York City in 2012, it only took one listen of this masterpiece before I extended an invitation for Summoner to play it. That's probably all you need to know about Phoenix.

3) Witchcraft - Legend

It's been five years since we last heard from Sweden's Witchcraft and in that time they've shaken up their lineup (only two of the five band members return from 2007's The Alchemist) and more importantly they've re-tooled their sound. Seemingly tired of the "new wave of analog-rock" that they practically invented with their self-titled debut back in 2004, Witchcraft went in a new direction with Legend and the result was a crisp, clean and refreshing album that threw a noticeable twist in the band's impressive legacy. Unlike previous albums, this one features overtly catchy riffs (see "Deconstruction"), lyrical content dealing with "real world" issues (see "Democracy") and a mind blowing dual guitar attack (see "An Alternative to Freedom"). I understand that some people are disappointed with the new direction…aren't they always…but if you'd prefer the pseudo-vintage sound of the band's past, there are plenty of other artists dabbling in that genre for you to fall back on. Witchcraft on the other hand have decided to eschew convention and to strike out in a new direction. I find that incredibly admirable and I found Legend in my constant rotation in 2012.

2) Baroness - Yellow & Green

Speaking of catchy…and speaking of defying convention…Baroness completely blew the doors off of expectations with their latest effort, Yellow & Green. In this instant gratification, pay what you want/steal if you can't society, who the fuck puts out a near flawless double album? I don't want to go overboard here, but this thing is quite frankly like stoner rock's version of The Wall. Divided into two equally impressive halves, Yellow & Green is extensive, it's gratifying…it's phenomenal. Baroness have completely evolved from the little, old Savannah, Georgia sludge metal quartet that we once knew into a progressive and wholly interesting rock band. If Witchcraft evolved "their" sound on Legend, then Baroness evolved the sound of rock music as a whole with Yellow & Green. Songs like "Take My Bones Away" and "Board Up the House" will literally have you singing along while pondering their meaning. With that said, there's a sense of melancholy permeating this entire body of work (listen to "Twinkler" or "Eula") a sort of ethereal sadness. But emotions are the truest inspiration for art and what emotion is more powerful than pain? With Yellow & Green, Baroness have created music that makes you think, it makes you long for something and most importantly, it makes you feel. That's what good music (and all good art) is supposed to do and that makes Yellow & Green infinitely successful.

1) Torche - Harmonicraft

And that brings me to my number one record of 2012. Similar to Baroness, Miami, Florida's Torche have written an album chock-full of hooks, sing-along choruses and other contagious musical moments that will have you returning to have your head bashed time and again. The difference here is that Harmonicraft strips away the instrumental mood pieces (the lone exception being the riff infested title track) in favor of a lean, mean approach that clocks in at under 40 minutes. Not a second is wasted here and the band's signature sound, which is often described as "sludge pop"…cute…is apparent after the first five minutes wherein you'll have already experienced the album's first two tracks. Songs like "Snakes Are Charmed" and "Kiss Me Dudely" sound like Helmet jamming with the Melvins on some Beach Boys tunes…heavy, slow and so damn catchy it'll have you puking rainbows (speaking of which…did you see the excellent cover artwork?). Want atmosphere? Look no further than "Solitary Traveler" which bares down on you like the weight of the world. I can't quite describe to you how I feel or what I take from the latest Torche LP, I just know that I can't stop listening to it and that's why it deserves this spot on my list. Perhaps the band themselves best described their sound with the made up word that they chose for the album's title. Harmonicraft indeed.

Heavy Planet CMJ Showcase in Review

Fontana's Bar
New York, New York
October 18, 2012

As you more than likely already know, Heavy Planet hosted our first ever College Music Journal (CMJ) Showcase last week at Fontana's Bar in New York City. Much like CMJ, the goal of Heavy Planet is to introduce new ears to the music of independent and unsigned artists. Unlike CMJ however, we tend to focus on those independent and unsigned artists who lean towards the heavier end of the musical spectrum.

Given that fact, we put together a lineup of bands that ran the gamut from neo-stoner art rock to riff slinging doom and from psychedelic sludge to dune riding, desert rock. And just in case that wasn't enough, we topped it all off with a pseudo-instrumental set of mind bending, ear splitting groove that drilled our message home with measured precision. Friends…allow me to recap for you the performances from the inaugural Heavy Planet CMJ Showcase.

Shock Radar

This NYC trio…one of two local acts to play the showcase…took the stage and immediately introduced the crowd to their post-grunge aural trip. With a sound somewhat akin to Bruce Springsteen doing “Feel Good Hit of the Summer”, vocalist/guitarist Lee Diamond and company kicked the evening off in perfect stoner rock fashion, all riffs and rhetoric. Shock Radar, which is rounded out by bassist Larry Hess and drummer Rich Drouin, played an eclectic array of experimental noise fused with flourishes of country twang and punk rock attitude. Diamond's raspy delivery melded well with the crisp backdrop of the rhythm section as the band got the evening off on the right foot. Bonus points to the Shocks' main man for recklessly flinging his Fender stage right as the band's set concluded, thus laying the foundation for what would be a raucous evening of rock n fucking roll.

Summoner

I knew it was time for some riff slinging when I saw Summoner’s Orange amps being loaded onto the Fontana’s stage. And I have to say, I was stoked to finally have a chance to see these guys, especially since I’ve essentially had their recent album, Phoenix, on repeat for about three straight months…seriously. Employing the dual guitar attack of A.J. Peters and Joe Richner, Summoner created a deafening wall of sound from the second they started playing their opening number “Conjuring”, through to the last crash from drummer Scott Smith during "Across Iron Fields".

And to say that every tendon, muscle and sinew in vocalist/bassist Chris Johnson’s throat was visible as he shouted his message into a microphone laced with echo effects would be an understatement. The vocals, which are a powerful ingredient to the Summoner concoction, drape the band’s layered riffs in an ethereal tapestry that adds a measure of depth to their sound that isn't often heard in this genre of music. Listening to the band play "Let the Light In" for example, was chill inducing to say the least. Summoner, who graciously made the trip down to NYC from Beantown to play our little shindig, was a highlight among highlights…wicked fucking good. If you have an opportunity to see these guys live, do not miss them.

Eggnogg

Brooklyn's Eggnogg were next on the bill and once again I couldn't wait.***Psst…since I put the damn lineup together, this will be a running theme throughout.*** After seeing Summoner jostle for position on the small Fontana's stage, this three piece almost seemed to spread out as vocalist/bassist Bill O'Sullivan set up shop at stage left with guitarist Justin Karol flanking him on the right and Jason Prushko situated behind his drum kit in dead center. Having spoken with O'Sullivan prior to the band's set, I learned that Prushko is a relative newcomer to the Eggnogg lineup, and as such, I was curious to hear how that would work out in a live setting. Turns out, the trio was just as tight, methodical and downright militaristic in their slow building, sludgy attack as they sound on their 2011 album Moments in Vacuum.

Given the band's name, you're likely to assume that Melvins comparisons are apropos…and in that assumption, you'd be right. Eggnogg is an aural juggernaut and on this night they had heads nodding in trancelike unison throughout Fontana's. O'Sullivan snarled from behind a mop of hair that was swiped from his eyes only long enough to say a quick thanks before the bludgeoning continued. Karol chugged along as one might expect, but managed to pull off impressive leads whenever his time came. And what of the new guy? Well he held down the band's patient rhythms and unexpected time changes like a seasoned vet throughout the 45 minute set.

In true showcase fashion, Eggnogg took the opportunity to highlight material off their forthcoming LP You're All Invited which seemed to be…at least to my ears…a heavier and darker Eggnogg. But don't take my word for it, take a listen for yourself to the live clip of the eponymous track off that upcoming album below. Also, the band is attempting to raise money via a kickstarter campaign in order to release the new album on vinyl. You can help them out with that by clicking this link: You're All Invited - Vinyl Kickstarter

Valley of the Sun

Valley of the Sun, who travelled the furthest to participate in this showcase, coming all the way from Cincinnati, Ohio, is so fucking good I almost don't have words. For starters, if you aren't already listening to their 2011 EP The Sayings of the Seers, then you need to stop reading this and go download that shit right now. Secondly, I want to thank vocalist/guitarist Ryan Ferrier, bassist Ryan McAllister and drummer Aaron Boyer for agreeing to play this show and for being true road warriors in doing so. It was much appreciated fellas.

Now…on to their set. Valley of the Sun took the stage and immediately erupted with the pure intensity and passion that can only come from a band who loves their craft. All three band members are equal cogs in this wheel. Ferrier, who casts a striking presence sporting the shaved head and bearded look drives the band's sound with his fuzzed out guitar tones and better-than-Cornell vocal delivery. But what you don't realize until you see Valley of the Sun in a live setting is that this band's secret weapon is it's rhythm section. McAllister and Boyer play off of each other so rapidly that it almost goes unnoticed…the former laying down the constantly shifting backbone of the band's attack while the latter pulverizes his drum kit into oblivion. In fact, Boyer played the drums so aggressively that at times, I found myself focusing solely on him…he was that much fun to watch.

Like Eggnogg, Valley of the Sun took the opportunity to showcase new material alongside the massive sounds from their aforementioned EP. And while the new stuff definitely whet my appetite for a new Valley of the Sun record, it was songs like "Hearts Aflame" and "Mariner's Tale" from Seers that drilled their way into my cranium. This is rock n' roll my friends! Combining power, hooks, and intricate melodies and then submerging them in a layer of glorious fuzz, Valley of the Sun breathes new life into a sound that bands like Kyuss and Fu Manchu coined long ago. Nobody inside Fontana's sat still during their set…and if they had…I would have checked their pulse. Phenomenal.

Borracho

Borracho is another band that went out of their way to be in New York City for this CMJ showcase, traveling up from Washington D.C., and for that, we are ever grateful. Having had the occasion to see the band's full lineup a few times in the past, I was extremely curious to get my first look at the new trimmed down, three-piece version that debuted back in September at the Stoner Hands of Doom Festival. With vocalist/guitarist Noah Greenburg on an extended hiatus while he handles day job commitments that have him out of the country, guitarist Steve Fisher, bassist Tim Martin and drummer Mario Trubiano are busy keeping the Borracho torch burning. Their solution? Take the best instrumental sections from the songs on their excellent 2011 album Splitting Sky…and if you've heard it, you know there are many…segue one piece into the next, throw in some killer new material and the end result is one monstrous 45 minute groove. Sound good? Yeah you know it does.

There aren't many bands that can captivate and enthrall an audience without the need for a vocalist. Interestingly enough, I saw Borracho open for a band with just such a talent about a year ago when they played with Karma to Burn, and I can't help but wonder if that band may have rubbed off on them and perhaps influenced their decision to carry on as a pseudo-instrumental trio in Noah's absence. Whatever the inspiration, I'm glad the band has gone in this direction, because their infectious groove, heavy riffs and sheer fucking talent are truly a sight to behold. Trubiano lays down thunderous beats right in time with Martin's thumping rhythm. But it's Fisher who seems to have taken the lead in Greenburg's absence. Without a word spoken, the guitarist raised his Flying V to the sky, shook his beard to the heavens and wailed out riffs, chords and glorious solos galore.

And right about the time that me and the rest of the Fontana's crowd began to wonder what the hell that microphone was doing raised up in front of the guitarist, all Lemmy-like, Fisher stepped right up and belted out the finale to "All in Play"…"and when your armies fail to come…you find your castles come undone…the answer…the answer…is run away." Fuckin' A! And in true headliner fashion, the band launched right into their catchiest, most accessible number of all, as their guitarist proceeded to handle vocal duties on a killer version of "Concentric Circles" before bringing Borracho's set to a satisfying end.

With that, the Fontana's crowd left with their ears ringing and their minds blown. The scene at Fontana's last Thursday night was one of a small community of musicians and their fans coming together to show support and solidarity to one another. This was a true showcase of real musical ability…of talent…of bands on their way up. I'm proud to have been a part of it and I want to thank Shock Radar, Summoner, Eggnogg, Valley of the Sun and Borracho for being a part of it as well. I enjoyed meeting and hanging out with all of the band members and I can't wait to do it again.

For more on all of the bands that played the Heavy Planet CMJ Showcase, check out the following links:

Shock Radar
Summoner
Eggnogg
Valley of the Sun
Borracho

The following is a clip of Eggnogg playing the song "Eggnogg" from their forthcoming LP You're All Invited shot live at the Heavy Planet CMJ Showcase:



Check out more photos from the show below:

Shock Radar

Summoner

Eggnogg

Valley of the Sun

Borracho

Thursday Playlist of Doom V4: CMJ Showcase Special Edition

Normally on the Thursday Playlist of Doom we would fill your ears with heavy ear-shattering doom tracks. Today we have decided to do something a little different. In honor of the Heavy Planet CMJ Showcase at Fontana's Bar in NYC here is a sampling of each band performing at the show. This playlist features the psychedelic alt-rock of New York City's Shock Radar, the atmospheric stoner/sludge of Boston's Summoner, the psych-doom of Brooklyn's Eggnogg, the desert rock of Cincinnati's Valley of the Sun, and the riff-bringing stoner barrage of Washington DC's Borracho. This is a show that is not to be missed. Hope you get a chance to go. If not, then enjoy the tunes!

((shockradar|summoner|eggnogg|vallyofthesun|borracho))