LP Review: Throneless - 'Throneless'

Sweden - a hot-bed of doom metal - have spawned another band determined to deliver monolithic slabs of heavy. Throneless, a 3-piece who hail from Malmö, are the latest signing by Italian imprint Heavy Psyche Sounds whose roster includes Black Rainbows, Karma To Burn & Ape Machine. Their self-titled debut recorded by the band themselves features 4 tracks of slow BPM, head-banging, down-tuned drones, that leaves you hypnotised and beaten into submission by the sheer power of their sound. 

Sonically, Throneless here sound fucking huge and you’d be mistaken to think this is a three guitar attack, with such dense, chewy fuzz and layered guitars. There’s a great organic ‘live' feel to the record too which puts you inside the room with the band, most probably alone, and in the dark... 

They’ve captured a real brooding menace that seeps its presence across every track, epitomised by the distant howls of the vocals. Like a long, dark, cold Scandinavian winter, there’s a gloomy shadow which casts long over this record. There are moments when I wanted to hear a bit more of the drop-out parts where the clean sounds build again to drown you in a huge wave of sound, but that’s a minor quibble. 

This is a solid debut which will earn Throneless fans into the likes of Ufomammut, Bongripper, Conan and Yob, and offers enough to suggest that they will explore new ground in the future for the genre. But it can’t get any heavier than this, can it...? 

Throneless are:

Johan Burman - drums

Johan Sundén - guitar

Patrik Sundberg - bass

Check them on Facebook | Bandcamp

Stumpfest 2014: An Interview with High Priestess Rynne Stump

Take a glance at the lineup for Portland's Stumpfest 2014 and it's difficult to make sense of how such a staggering three-day bill came together. Spend just moments speaking with the event's founder and organizer, Rynne Stump, and it's immediately evident how easily she can pull off such impressively heavy company. Words like friends, magic, and love dominate her vernacular more than fans or money, and a disarmingly genuine nature bleeds through each sentence.  Heavy Planet enjoyed an opportunity to gush as Rynne opened up about the annually-expanding Stumpfest and its past, its future, and its purpose.

Heavy Planet: This is the third year for Stumpfest, right?

Rynne Stump: Yep, third year!

HP: What are some of the origins of the festival?

RS: It just kind of came to me. I used to do booking in Portland and I did production there with my best friend, Chantelle Hylton, back in the early 2000's. And I used to do my own little shows around town. I guess the origins would be from that and moving to L.A. and not really having much of a scene down here. Some people could argue that with me, but I've lived here ten years and if you wanna go to a heavy show you've gotta drive to Pomona or somewhere on God's green Earth out there. A lot of my friends I met in Portland who do play in heavy bands, they'll come stay at my house when they're in town but usually they don't have a good venue to play down here. So a couple years back, YOB was doing their first stint out with Tool and I asked them on the last show, "What if I had a festival? Would you guys play it? If I booked a gig up in Portland, would you guys headline?" And Mike (Scheidt) was like "Absolutely!" And I thought, Well how cool would THIS be? Do a show every year with my friends, bands that I like, bands that I don't get to see. Maybe my friends from down here come and play up there, we'll just get everybody connected. So really it was just the idea of bringing my friends together and actually getting to see all these amazing bands that I'm missing living in Los Angeles. That's probably not a very nice answer, but it's the truth! [laughs]

YOB

HP: 2012 was one night, 2013 spanned a weekend, and this year's three day lineup is fucking killer! How big is this thing gonna get?

RS: I don't know! This year I was like, Maybe we'll go back to one night. Then I just had an outpouring of requests from bands that I really love, bands that played the first two years and I can't say no to. They're my brothers. The Rieseberg's in Norska, my best friend Mark (Bassett) in Diesto...  "Of course you guys are gonna play because I wanna see you! I never get to see you!" So aside of that, Ancient Warlocks came outta the woods and I love them, I love their record. Bands like Drunk Dad, who I just got turned onto a couple months back. I wanna see them, y'know?! One of my friends from elementary school, Kevin Spafford, is the drummer in Honduran. He sent me their album a while back and I was like "Oh my God, you guys have to play!" I got excited and I cast the net kinda broad and wide because bands like Trans Am, you don't know if they're gonna say yes or no. You don't know where they're at in their creative process. They haven't played shows in a while. The last time I saw them was actually at Mississippi Studios. A year and a half back they did a show for their record label, it was like an all day thing. They've been friends of mine for years, we worked together and booked them at Berbati's a long time ago. I reached out to those guys and it just so happened they finished their tenth record (Volume X) and they're lookin' for a show. The only thing was Sebastian (Thomson) is now drumming in Baroness. So I was like, "Can we get Seb out?" And Seb said "Yeah, we can do it." And he's gotta fly back for Moogfest in Asheville (NC) like the day after. They're friends and they wanna be a part of it and it's really exciting, but I had NO idea they would say yes. Red Fang, we were negotiating with them last year. Pretty much everyone that plays this knows me or is one degree away from a close friend.

Ancient Warlocks

HP: It seems so tightly knit, the entire thing...

RS: Absolutely! It's a total family affair. I had a lot of requests from bands I've never heard of or don't know and that's really exciting that people wanna play it. That makes it awesome for me because I get a chance to discover new music and see new bands myself and that's exciting. But for right now, it's really just... family. [laughs]

HP: I keep seeing the term "Bro-love."

RS: It's SUPER bro-love! And that's the cool part! If you're there, it's cool. You can experience it and be a part of it. It's really an intense thing. People in the crowd, the audience, they feel like they're a part of something, they feel connected to the musicians, they feel connected to the vibes that are being procured. Every band, so far, has brought an incredible set. It's insane, it's leveling! Everyone is rehearsing, getting prepped; they really take it seriously and I think that's the inspiration of love, friendship. It's not a competitive thing, it's not like we wanna sound better than anybody else. To me, it's Stumpfest. We all just wanna get a quality thing together. And I love that! It's happening naturally, it's something I can't explain. It's magic. That's the magic and power of love and friendship. And I have no idea what's gonna happen in the next couple of years! [laughs] It's its own animal, it seems like it just keeps morphing and evolving into this bigger, cooler thing. Hey, I'm just holdin' on for dear life here!

HP: Our readers are familiar with Norska, Black Pussy, everybody loves Red Fang. I'm not even able to attend and I was stoked to see the lineup, especially when Ancient Warlocks were announced. Are there any bands there people would be foolish to miss? You'll probably say all of them...

RS: That's such a tough question. That's the reason I set it up, these are ALL bands I would NEVER miss. Trans Am, who's gonna argue with that? They're one of the best bands on the entire planet! Unequivocally, Trans Am is one of the best of the best. It's been over fifteen years they've been together and they still just deliver. If you miss Trans Am, you should just... [sighs] That would be the one for me. I would NOT miss Thursday night. That's a hard question, that's not funny! [laughs]

Trans Am

HP: Sorry!

RS: I don't know, YOB? Red Fang in a 300-capacity venue? When I first saw Mastodon in 2001 or 2002 in Seattle, they were playing at this tiny club up there. It was mind-blowing! Seeing YOB in a small place, Black Cobra, I just can't say enough about this year. I don't even know how I did it. I have no idea.

Black Cobra

HP: When I first saw the bill, I think it was on Cat's instagram or something, I thought, You've gotta be kidding me! But it seems so much a celebration of the Pacific Northwest and an increasingly prolific scene, if you wanna call it that. What would you say is special to the area compared to other hotbeds of heavy music like New Orleans or Savannah?

RS: What I think is of utmost importance to these musicians is that they care, they give a fuck about what they sound like. And like I said, not in a competitive format. Not in a "We wanna make it big" format. They care because the music means so much. The tone, y'know? The carving of the tone, the heaviness. They respect the heavy. They respect their craft and, as you well know, anyone who respects what they do has the integrity to do BEYOND. You wanna evolve. You wanna transform, right? Isn't that the idea of art? To transform, to transcend. THAT'S what comes out of the Pacific Northwest. Transcendence through quality. These guys work jobs. They go home and work jobs. They take care of their families, they take care of this or that. But they can tell you exactly their pedal board systems, their handmade cabinets from dudes that MAKE cabinets in the Pacific Northwest. It's just such a beautiful place, it's like a garden. A garden for quality, heavy music and rock n' roll. I just believe all that rain, all those clouds...

HP: There's something about it!

RS: There's something about it, right!

HP: I've been told not just Portland, but the Pacific Northwest in general, is a strange and special place.

RS: They know how to cultivate sound, and that's the beauty. It's the respect, it's that respect for the craft. And that's art, that's the DEFINITION of art. It's not to bastardize and make thousands of dollars being a jerk, not knowing what the hell you're doing.

HP: And a lot o' people make a lot o' money doin' that shit...

RS: I know, I KNOW! You see bands like Yes and old school bands that are still doin' it for the love. They're not out there tryin' to make money, and I doubt they ever were. It's the integrity of the art.

HP: And you've got bands coming out retirement because they have bills. And it sucks.

RS: It depends on what band you're talkin' about! You know what I mean, we gotta watch it! [laughs] But there's nothing wrong with making money, either. The money is not the evil. The evil comes with how you're motivated by the money. It's what you choose to sacrifice to make that money. If you just so happen to be completely devoted to your craft and you happen to be able to make money on it, fuck... more power to you! And if you happen to make money without that? More power to you, but I'm not gonna listen to your shit. Good music is good music, it doesn't matter what it is. I listen to EVERYTHING! I listen to MUSIC, I'm a MUSIC lover. I sang bluegrass when I was a little kid and I still listen to bluegrass. But, like I said... with anything, with art, when it's really, truly there....people know it. And that's the beauty of being a human. ONE of the beauties.

HP: Yeah! I was raised on my dad's old Mountain and Allman Brothers records and it's funny now, I love this heavy stuff, this sludge and doom. But I was fed a lot o' good music as a kid. And like you said, good music is good music. It doesn't need to be categorized.

RS: No, it doesn't! It can, but it's not necessary. You know when something's good, you know when it hits you right in the sweet spot. I think that's one of the beauties of this year's festival: every band has a sweet spot. Every band that's on this bill has the potential to be headliners. Or ARE headliners!

HP: Right! I could ask which of these bands are primed to explode, but I look and I can answer my own question. ANY of them!

RS: Yeah, any show could have been developed over any number of these bands. I got lucky. The powers that be aligned and here it is. The beauty is that when things are right in the world, everything just works. It's a problem when you try to force things. Fortunately, the magic was in the air and everyone said yes! Everyone I asked said yes. Except Sandrider, because they were having a child or something. And I was like, We need to get some more days at Mississippi, because we love it there and they take great care of us. And I feel like if we have to move to a larger venue at some point, maybe for a night, we might do that in the future. But Mississippi should and will always be our home. I like the intimacy and I don't wanna have to start charging people a lot of money for tickets. That's another huge point of contention. I'm trying to keep the cost of the festival livable so people can come.

HP: And the tickets are modestly priced.

RS: I want everybody to have a chance to come to all the nights. It's all about the whole picture. Maybe some people don't wanna come to the same venue every night. But the people who ARE gonna be there all three nights are gonna experience something really special.

HP: Looking through photos from the first two years, there's nobody there that isn't smiling and loving the shit out of their life at that point.

RS: [laughs] Well, yes! It's fun! Everybody gets paid, everybody gets fed. I give a free t-shirt to every member of the bands. Usually I screen-print the t-shirts by hand but this year I'm gonna actually go down to a shop in town and have them do it because it's red and black and really intense with a red washout. I'm a printer, by the way. That's my college degree, printing. I have my own little set up here at my house but this year's artwork demanded a little more attention than I could provide with the time frame because I just got home from tour with Tool and I didn't have enough time to actually screen-print the number of t-shirts I'll need. So that's kind of a drag. I just went down and had a meeting with the printers yesterday and they said, "Come on down, you can help us!" So I'm actually involved, but I won't be doing them all by hand. But everybody gets a little love. My sister and I make handmade laminates out of nudie magazines for all the bands. High Times, Playboy, National Geographic... little collages for each band member. It's fun! Everybody is involved because they want to be. Our artist who's done the artwork every year, one of my dear friends, Gabriel Shaffer out of Asheville, North Carolina... he's done artwork for us at our home, and naturally he was the first person I asked to help me with this because it's a family affair! It gives us all a reason to get together. It's easy when it's just all your friends. [laughs] Everybody just likes to see each other and it's like a big reunion. And we get to bring other people into the fold. We make new friends, new relationships get forged, bands meet each other that maybe otherwise hadn't in the past. I know Floor is taking out Hot Victory, that happened because they all met last year. I think that's why it happened, at least. It's just cool. New bonds are made, that's the whole idea.

Hot Victory

HP: I wish more festivals were like this one. The way it's presented, the way it's arranged and delivered. It's difficult for me to describe as an outsider. I won't ask you to sell the festival, it seems to sell itself. But is there anything people may not know about Stumpfest that you feel they need to know?

RS: Not really! They just need to be armed and prepared to open their hearts, connect, and have a blast!

HP: Can they get in if they don't have a beard?

RS: [laughs] Absolutely! I don't discriminate! There's a lot o' hair goin' on, it's amazing! John Theodore, when I asked Life Coach to come up... We already had Phil (Manley) from Trans Am, and I was like "Come on, Johnny! You gotta come up!" And he was like "Man, Stump! That's a lot o' heaviness there, I don't know!" I told him he'll be fine! Because I want each night to have its own identity. What's a festival if it's one big clod and everybody sounds in the same ilk? It kinda gets to you after a while. So it's nice. That's maybe one thing that I'll leave you with. Each night crafts its own sound, its own style. And I've tried to cultivate it that way. We have one night that's different to keep it fresh for everyone who does want to come for three days. You ARE getting a different vibe on stage each night!

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Don't sleep on this one, kids. It seems there's no over-stressing the heart that goes into Stumpfest at every angle. From Ms. Stump, through the bands, and directly into the lucky few in attendance runs a stream of unity and passion. If only the rest of the world would catch on, eh?

Stumpfest 2014 | Facebook | Southern Cross PR | Trans Am | Red Fang | YOB | Federation X | Lord Dying | Black Cobra | Black Pussy | Life Coach | Norska | Diesto | Drab Majesty | Ancient Warlocks | Drunk Dad | Hot Victory | Chron Goblin | Honduran

Reg's Top 20 Albums of 2011

Well, it's that time of year again when I share what albums I believe to be the very best of the year or at least the ones that I enjoyed the most this year. The hardest thing to do when hearing well over 400 albums each year is to narrow that list down to a Top 20. Most of the bands listed here have been featured on Heavy Planet in one way or another by either myself or one of my talented writers within the past year. So without further adieu, I share with you my Top 20 Albums of 2011. ~Reg

#20. Black Acid Devil-Mountains of Madness

Every year I wait until the end of the year to compile my best of list because there may be one last album that blows you away for one reason or another. This year that album happened to be "Mountains of Madness" from Boulder, Colorado's very own sludge demons Black Acid Devil. "The band plays a fierce blend of Stoner/Sludge metal. By blending monsterous riffs, monumental time changes, furious bass lines and gritty vocals the band beckons the ominous sky like a rolling metallic thunder. As the band states...Black Acid Devil Slays...INDEED!"

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#19. Grifter-Grifter

With catchy melodies and memorable hooks, this band from the UK finally got the recognition they deserved from Stoner/Classic Rock label Ripple Music this year. Taking their influences from seventies classic hard rock, Grifter injects a feel good energy, heavy blues riffs, bouncing bass lines and great vocals into a very tasty debut. This album is just a terrific listen all the way through. Get off your ass right now and move to the groove. Check out more about the band at the links below.

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#18. Thalamus-Subterfuge

I must admit I am a sucker for great vocals and guitarist/vocalist Kjell Bergendahl doesn't short change you in that department. "Subterfuge" is a great homage to great heavy blues rock bands of the seventies. Scorching solos, powerful harmonies, killer grooves and a banging hammond organ prove that a band can still be great without all of the flash and filler. The band even gets a little doomy on the tracks "When Goblins Cheer" and "Still Dancing on My Grave". Freakin' fantastic!

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#17. Maligno-The Funeral Domine

This album by Mexican Doom metal band Maligno was a bit overlooked. Powerful vocals, masterful doom riffage, seering guitars and a classic metal stomp round out a very formidible album complete with guest appearances by Alex Skolnick and acoustic guitar duo Rodrigo Y Gabriela.

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#16. Eggnogg-Moments in Vaccuum

One great thing about this blog is getting to hear many bands that I would probably never know about. This is a great band that you should know about. After seeing their name show up on other website Top 10 lists it is evident that others are taking notice. "Simply put, Eggnog is brilliant! This band from Brooklyn, NY utilizes a multitude of tones and effects to create a psych-tinged ambience amongst heavy as all hell doom riffs. If you are in search of a spacey, fuzzed-out, infectious, bluesy...I could go on and on and on. Sometimes a band is so good I am at a loss for words."

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#15. Red Fang-Murder the Mountains

There are so many great bands coming out of the state of Oregon as of late and Red Fang is no exception. These guys are all over the board with their sound which lends to an amazing effort of overall balance and incredible musicianship. This release did not garner the attention it was predicted and that is unfornuate. Seth states, "I can listen to Murder the Mountains and hear well over a dozen of my most rewarding life experiences without actually hearing about them on the news. Perhaps you can find the time to discover this album, avoid getting arrested, and smile with friends like you know something the rest of the world doesn't. Feels good, huh?"

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#14. Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats - Blood Lust

This is one of those albums that kind of came out of left field. I'm not even sure where I saw it but saw the name of the band and decided to see what they had available on YouTube. I was hooked! They play an acid-soaked late-sixties early seventies inspired Sabbath-like style of doom complete with horrific songs about murder, drug use and the occult. This is unholy doom at it's finest!

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#13. Weedeater-Jason...the Dragon

I'm gonna probably take a lot of slack from this, but I thought this album was the pinnacle of all straight-up Sludge Metal releases this past year. Dixie Dave and Co. created with "Jason...The Dragon" another humorous, filthy, and stauch piece of southern-fried sludge. Seth firmly states, "There aren't enough bands like this. Weedeater is nothing more than three free-wheelin' mudslingers who operate on their own schedules and don't rely on your response to stroke their egos. I'll never run out of elements indicating why they should play at your July 4th backyard barbecue; Weedeater perfectly exemplify southern sludge metal. And I can't think of a better way to celebrate a muggy summer holiday than playing with guns, throwing in a lipper, and listening to these guys."

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#12. YOB-Atma

Yet another impressive album from Oregon Doom legends YOB. These guys are the masters of the riff. What impresses me about this release is not so much how skillfully each riff is played, but rather the soul and passion that is sweated into each song. For this release, the band has added more depth and dynamics for a build-up that is so intense and powerful. If you have never listened to this band, what better time than now!

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#11. The Heavy Eyes-Heavy Eyes

I marvel at how a band can take simplicity and reform it into such an outstanding piece of work. On the band's latest simply titled "Heavy Eyes" the band kicks into heavily inspired 70's blues rock with a gritty southern stomp. The Black Keys are doing it, but the Heavy Eyes are doing it better. Zac states, "Tripp Shumake's vocals and guitar style are soulful, enhancing the southern feel of the record and Eric Garcia's drums and Wally Anderson's bass will have your feet stomping, The production quality is raw and very fitting."

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#10. Elvis Deluxe-Favourite State of Mind

These full-throttle rockers from Poland put out quite possibly one of the best straight-forward rocking albums of the past year. The familiar desert groove is there on tunes such as "This Time", but this time around the band adds the sparkle of psychedelia and the ferocity of punk for a more layered sound. As Zac simply states, " Elvis Deluxe, you have completely won this listener over. What a great combination of my favorite styles of rock, this is what I live for."

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#09. Black Cobra-Invernal

After seeing these two dudes (that's right I said two) open up for Kyuss Lives! they immediately shot up my list. Actually, to be perfectly honest I didn't even have them on my list. Their blistering live perfomance in front of a rather unfortunately sparse crowd promted me to re-visit their latest Stoner/Sludge/Thrash opus, "Invernal". As Seth states, "This riff-oriented collection is far too immense and far too fast to serve as background music while you wash dishes. Give it your full attention. Let it wear you out like the drunk whore at your block party, and make sure you ask for seconds. "Invernal" will burn and blister, but it's gonna heal a lot better than the stupid tribal tattoo you just sat through."

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#08. Wizard Smoke-The Speed of Smoke

Doomy, fuzzy, psychedelic, unworldly, spooky, what else could you want. This is an exceptional album from beginning to end. As Seth states, "The Speed of Smoke", so fully encapsulates what Heavy Planet is all about...sit back as you’re guided through a black cosmos." Not only that but the album is avaible for FREE! Astonishing.

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#07. Freedom Hawk-Holding On

I think the thing that keeps bringing me back to this album time and time again are the songs. As Toby states, "these are songs…songs that you’ll want to return to and that’ll have you singing along by your second time through the record. They are both catchy and memorable and in this day and age, that’s to be commended. Also notable is the fact that Freedom Hawk avoids the current trend found on albums by many of their peers to extend songs well beyond a reasonable run time. This is a band who clearly understands that less can in fact be more and that it’s actually a good thing to leave their listeners wanting just that…more." Besides the gift of great song-writing is the obvious high-pitched Ozzy vocal comparison. These guys are a great band that write great songs. Fly High Freedom Hawk!

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06. Elder-Dead Roots Stirring

Since making my Top 10 of 2009 with their self-titled release, Boston's Elder has been on my radar with avid anticipation. With their latest release "Dead Roots Stirring", the band has built upon their sound and taken it into very epic boundaries. Devastating heaviness, spellbinding rhythms, and more psychedelia took the band into a new direction and hope they can expand upon it for their next release sure to make another Top of the year list. As Zac states, "The instruments, vocals, and lyrics are truly cohesive here, not one over-rides the other. Each work in perfect harmony fabricating a new sound of (what we all like to call) 'Heavy'.

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05. Sungrazer-Mirador

This album is stunning proof that desert rock is alive and well. This Dutch band is at the forefront when it comes to playing extended stoner rock jams a la Kyuss. The thing that takes this album to a whole new level is their fondness for spacey psychedelic rock and building their songs around a simplistic riff until reaching an exploding climax. "Mirador" is an absolutely brilliant piece of work and should be in everyone's Stoner Rock playlist.

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04. Borracho-Splitting Sky

These guys are showing up on just about everyone's lists this year and deservedly so. Everytime I get done listening I immediately hit repeat and will probably continue to do so until their next release. "DC’s Borracho have crafted an absorbing debut album that says “we’re ready to join the club.” My recommendation is that you get onboard with this one right now…because chances are, you’ll be paying good money to hear Borracho play it “in its entirety” ten years from now. Splitting Sky is an instant classic. It’ll blow your mind that this whole thing started out as a side project."-Toby

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03. Valley of the Sun-The Sayings of the Seers (EP)

Cincinnati's Valley of the Sun seemlessly blends blistering stoner grooves, stellar musicianship, and high energy low and high dynamics to their amazing sound. Oh, and did I mention that Ryan Ferrier may quite possibly be the best rock vocalist I've heard since Miles Kennedy and Chris Cornell. From the unmatched soaring vocal harmonies of opener "Hearts Aflame" , the epicness of "Mariner's Tales" to the steam rolling groove of "Deep Light Burns", Cincinnati's Valley of the Sun is a well-polished band that is ready to be singed into your brain." I will be waiting patiently for a new album by these guys, hopefully in 2012 so it can make my list next year.

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02. Wo Fat-Noche del Chupacabra

It is no secret that Wo Fat is probably one of my new favorite bands after their incredible 2009 album "Psychedelonaut" made its way onto my Top 10 of 2009. I could not wait to hear their latest CD "Noche del Chupacabre" and man it did not disappoint. After my first listen I declared it worthy of Top 20 of 2011 status. It stood up through the course of the year amongst so many great CDs, but this thing just got a stranglehold on me. If you enjoy being "sucked through the doors of a hoodoo hut in the middle of a swamp which leads to the extraterrestrial vastness of the universe" then Wo Fat's remarkable psychedelic Stoner/Doom blend may be just what you've been searching for. Doom on Wo Fat!

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Drum roll please.............

01. Orchid-Capricorn

I guess what drew me into San Francisco doom band Orchid is how eerily similar they sound like my favorite band of all-time Black Sabbath (minus Ozzy sounding vocals). The feel of the album has a very retro production as if it could have been recorded back in the early seventies and I think that is what I enjoy most about this album. The riffs are enormous, the soloing tremendous, and vocals superb. I can pull this album out at anytime and truly enjoy every minute of it, thus making it my solid numero uno for 2011!

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Honorable mentions:Backwoods Payback-"Momantha", Gideon Smith-"30 Weight", Serpent Venom-"Carnal Alter", Mars Red Sky-"Self-Titled", Sleestak-"The Fall of Altrusia", Black Rainbows–"Supermothafuzzalicious!!", Lo-Pan-"Salvador"

Top 20 of 2011 Playlist



To listen to the playlist in it's entirety without limitations go here.

I look forward to what 2012 has to offer and want to thank the bands, readers and fans for your support of Heavy Planet!

YOB Announces Reunion Gig

Doom metal giants YOB will celebrate their reunion with a special concert on February 28 at The Ash Street Saloon in Portland, Oregon with support from THE IOMMI STUBBS and BROTHERS OF THE SONIC CLOTH (featuring the legend himself Tad Doyle). One can only expect something of the most epic nature, since pretty much a YOB gig is an event in itself. The band is also trudging away on the material for their anticipated new album, which is shaping up to be the most monumental and crushing YOB material to date.

As of now, the band plan on entering the studio late March with the mighty Sanford Parker at the helm with the goal to get this monolithic piece of doom out this summer via Profound Lore Records.

As for the new material, mastermind Mike Scheidt had this to say about it: "The newest material is such a trip, I don't know how exactly to describe it. We have one song that is maybe the most brutal thing I have written ala 'Grasping Air/Exorcism Of The Host'. But more brutal, and painful. We have another new tune that is very melodic in a weird way, almost poppy, but driving almost like some of the material from that 'other band'. With strangeness that is hard to convey. The final 'epic' song (that is 16 minutes so far and definitely NOT done) is like a mix of the song 'Catharsis' and 'The Unreal Never Lived...' big clean guitar intro, big slow melodic riffs, patient big builds that explode... it's going to be huge. It's also going to be an immense challenge to keep this album in the 60-minute mark. Five songs total. Lots of clean singing. Still lots of screams and death roars too."

YOB Announces Reunion Show

YOB has reunited and will play their first reunion show this December at the Ash Street Saloon in Portland, Oregon. Joining the band will be Iommi Stubbs.

YOB Reunion Show
December 13, 2008
Ash Street Saloon
Portland, OR
YOB
Iommi Stubbs
Brothers of the Sonic Cloth (metal/hardcore/doom)
$7, music at 9:30pm

YOB Signs With PROFOUND LORE RECORDS

From the trials and ordeals that had befallen Mike Scheidt (with lawsuits regarding a specific former band name), to resurrect the beast known as YOB was the only natural thing to do. It's been no secret that YOB is once again active, and in turn, Profound Lore will indeed be releasing the next YOB full-length album.

Over the years, Eugene Oregon's YOB has amassed a reputation within doom metal as one of the mightiest, unique and most respected doom metal acts of our time. With experience on bigger labels such as Candlelight and Metal Blade by releasing some of the most crushing and downright gargantuan-like doom to ever seethe from the cracks of the earth, YOB is currently preparing its long-awaited awake from the slumber by writing new material that, according to Scheidt, will be the heaviest and most epic (and naturally best) YOB material to date.

As the stress of the lawsuit regarding Scheidt's former band was coming to its untimely end, Scheidt was meddling around with ideas for some new music (that was even going to go under a different moniker at first). He then came in contact with drummer Travis Foster and when both decided to start jamming again, the decision was cordially made to bring YOB back to life.

Now joined by new bass player Aaron Reiseberg, YOB is in writing mode for its monolithic comeback effort, to be released sometime in the first half of 2009.

The Reformation of YOB

From YOB:

YOB is reforming to record a new album and do a limited number of shows. We have a number of new songs we are working on and our goal is to record in the Spring for a Summer 2009 release. We are very excited about this new material.


With word from Isamu Sato that he is too busy with family/work/new musical projects to commit to a YOB reunion, the task for Travis [Foster, drums] and I [Mike S, vocals/guitar] was to find a new bassist for YOB.


That has been accomplished in the excellent Aaron Reiseberg from Portland, Oregon. He is an old friend of ours, and has played in bands with Travis before. He has the chops and the enthusiasm we need for our new material and upcoming yet-to-be-determined shows.


We will now be rehearsing and getting ready to record in Spring 2009, and will possibly play our first comeback show in Portland, Oregon before the end of the year.


We hope to do two to three shows on the west coast, two to three on the east coast, and maybe get over to the UK/Europe for a couple of shows if promoters over there feel it would be worth their money to bring YOB over for a very short run. We will not add any other shows to these except in rare instances.


Any booking inquiries can be sent to Nathan Carson at Nanotear Booking: nanotear@hotmail.com.




YOB`s last album, The Unreal Never Lived, was released in 2005 via Metal Blade Records. The group disbanded shortly thereafter, with Mike forming the group Middian. That group was subsequently sidelined in 2008 following a cease and desist order from an obscure hardcore band from the Midwest that had trademarked the name “Midian.” Middian was supposed to return as Age Eternal, but those plans fell apart when drummer Scott Headrick quit the band and bassist Will Lindsay joined Wolves in the Throne Room. Mike and Will plan to record material together, under a yet-to-be-revealed name.


For more information, visit www.myspace.com/yobdoom and www.myspace.com/middiandoom.

MIDDIAN Calls It Quits; YOB Reformation In The Works

AGE ETERNAL (formerly MIDDIAN), the band featuring former YOB leader Mike Scheidt, has issued the following update:

"AGE ETERNAL (MIDDIAN) is fucking dead.

"Our lawsuit [involving a Milwaukee-based band called MIDIAN over the use of the MIDDIAN name] is finally coming to a close. It has been a hard year, and we could not have done it without the support of the metal community world wide and the time and money people donated to our cause. We are eternally in your debt.

"Sadly, the lawsuit came with a high cost to us personally and interpersonally. Scott Headrick is quitting the band and moving. Mike S felt he needed to back off from touring due to family and work/lack of work issues, cutting his touring commitment from 60-70 shows a year to a handful of shows, mostly local to the West Coast, for an indefinite amount of time, maybe permanently.

"This extreme change in direction, coupled with the immense stress of our lawsuit and inner conflicts in the band resulted in Scott's decision to move on with his life. Scott Headrick is the highest caliber of person. We mourn his loss, and support his need to take care of himself.

"We are very sad to share this news about AGE ETERNAL, but are confident that it must and will open the doors for new music creation and growth.

"Will Lindsay and Mike S will continue to write music with the goal of recording and doing some shows, under another name, as a new band and not AGE ETERNAL. And with Will's now full-time commitment playing guitar with the immaculate WOLVES IN THE THRONEROOM, people should be expecting to see him in their hometown in the USA and abroad very soon.

"News regarding the reformation of YOB, including a small number of shows and a new recording, shall be announced officially soon.

"Once again, we cannot thank the metal community and people who donated their money and time enough. We feel extremely fortunate to be a part of such a quality group of people, and we will pay your kindness and generosity forward."

Album Of The Day-YOB-"The Unreal Never Lived" (2005)

The Album Of The Day is "The Unreal Never Lived" by YOB.



Review:

YOB has never exactly been easy listening. They are masters of doom metal -- slow, heavy, ominous, forceful headbanger music with a strong appreciation of Black Sabbath (whose riffs have been a primary influence on the doom/stoner/sludge field). But the Oregon residents have managed to increase the heaviness factor somewhat on The Unreal Never Lived, which favors a generally thicker, more distorted sound than their previous releases. That isn't to say that YOB has turned into one of the many ultra-dense, ultra-claustrophobic metalcore or death metal bands that believes in bruising for the sake of bruising; even with the increased heaviness, The Unreal Never Lived is not the type of metal album that goes out of its way to be harsh. Nonetheless, the thickness factor has definitely increased for YOB -- and another thing that makes The Unreal Never Lived come as a bit of a surprise is Mike Scheidt's lead vocals. Scheidt, in the past, was known in doom/stoner circles for his high-pitched vocals; he was arguably the doom equivalent of Rush's Geddy Lee or Cradle of Filth's Dani Filth. Scheidt can still hit the high notes, but this time, he surprises you with a lot of deep, guttural death metal-ish growling -- not the sort of thing one expected from him on previous albums, but it works nicely on this 2005 recording. Despite those changes and adjustments, The Unreal Never Lived still has YOB written all over it. These guys are still doom all the way, and they continue to enjoy extended performances; "The Mental Tyrant," for example, lasts 21 minutes. Bottom line: The Unreal Never Lived is a pleasant surprise that will probably be well received by the majority of YOB fans but may help them acquire some new ones. (Alex Henderson, All Music Guide)

Track Listing:

01. Quantum Mystic - 10:58
02. Grasping Air - 9:02
03. Kosmos - 10:25
04. The Mental Tyrant - 21:24

Play Entire Album Stream

Metal Blade

Also highly recommended is "The Illusion Of Motion" released in 2004. If you do not own either one of these albums, do yourself a favor and get them. Some of the most creative and original Doom Metal I have ever heard. Also, if you like that, check out Mike Scheidt's current project Middian and their album entitled "Age Eternal".

Middian MySpace