Welcome To Heavy Planet!

If you are looking for new Stoner Rock, Doom, Heavy Psych or Sludge Metal bands, then you have come to the right place. Heavy Planet has been providing free promotion to independent and unsigned bands since 2008. Find your next favorite band at Heavy Planet. Thanks for stopping by!

Saturday, June 30, 2012

Discover Your Next Favorite Band on Heavy Planet!


The staff at Heavy Planet is passionate about music and we dedicate much our free time to bring you more music than your 1 TB Hard Drive can handle. If this is your first time perusing the site, here is a bit of a road map. Start at the drop down box and check out Seth's Sunday Sludge. If you are a fan of the murkier side of music this is the place to go. Next, check out the "New Band To Burn One To" archives. Many of these bands were introduced right here on Heavy Planet and have gone on to achieve international success. The tour continues to Zac's Double Dose where you are treated to two very diverse bands each and every Wednesday.

To hear some great new music look at the bottom of the page where you will find the Heavy Planet Radio player. Click "play" to hear some of the finest up and coming new bands from around the world.

To extend your Heavy Planet experience please consider liking our two Facebook pages at the following links:

Heavy Planet Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/HeavyPlanet.Stoner.Doom.Sludge.Metal
Heavy Planet Radio:
https://www.facebook.com/HeavyPlanetRadio


Also, check out our monthly podcast on Grip of Delusion Radio. You can listen to and download past podcasts at this location.


As always, if you like the music you hear please help out the band by going to shows and by purchasing their music and merchandise.

Please help to support Heavy Planet by considering a purchase of a cool Heavy Planet T-Shirt.



Thank you for stopping by and checking out Heavy Planet. We hope you are able to discover some incredible bands while you visit!

If you are in a band and wish to in some way be included on Heavy Planet, you can submit your band to this location for consideration.

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Friday, June 29, 2012

New Band to Burn One To: COOGAN'S BLUFF


Heavy Planet presents today's "New Band To Burn One To"...COOGAN'S BLUFF !


Band Bio:

Since 2003, Coogan's Bluff (named after an old Eastwood movie from 1968) have been celebrating their musical journey through time and space.  Sonically it's an amalgam of what happened during the late-60s and early 70s, paired and seasoned with Stoner rock influences and epic instrumental parts, with catchy hooks and funky wind section. Since recording "CB RADIO" (2007) and MAGIC BUBBLES (2011) the band has leaped forward with "PONCHO EXPRESS" (2012), 
Attemwere made in the two predecessor albums to describe the music produced. Concepts such as "natural-heavy-kickass-blues-rock & roll-krautrock" , were espoused, but a couple more dashes may be necessary this time around. The stops are pulled out the trend police must wait outside. It may be simply about the superlative of genre names: ROCK. Ornate, decorated, stamped, sprayed in big letters. 
Paschen Charlie (drums), Willi Paschen (guitar), Clemens Marasus (bass) and Thilo Streubel (vocals) have been more than a decade, Coogan's Bluff. Thilo had to take a baby break, however, a tempting offer to play on the on Duna Jam festival in Sardinia, encouraged the band to press on and rebuild  with Stefan MeinKing (trombone) and Max Thum (saxophone) as a way to mask a lack of vocals. Both had been on  present "MAGIC BUBBLES." The new album however, featured no instrumentals as bassist Clemens grabbed the mic and what spewed forth oozed Captain Beefheart, Tom Waits and a Jimmmy Castor with its extremely heavy all encompassing 70s-radio mashup.
In just two days, "PONCHO EXPRESS," was recorded live and analog (what else) was mixed by Charlie himself. This is where the 70s-90s meld, with a  TÜV seal from the here and now. The record evokes UFO, Golden Earring, The Stooges, and Can, but also channels Pearl Jam, Big Chief, and Monster Magnet. With an organic and authentic vibe, raucous riffs, crafty catchy melody, catchy hooks, and funky grooves, the album gives way to both dancing and head-banging. The donkey is saddled ... take a ride.

Thoughts:
"Coogan's bluff are a freaky group. Drawing from krautrock influences to oldschool blues and funk, the band screams Beefheart, Zappa, and early King Crimson all at the same time.They also channel sick 90s-style Monster Magnet tinged riffage and tune in and out on this wild tripped out Desert-Western vibe. This record has something for everyone and is definitely for anyone looking for a DIFFERENT kind of rock record. Kudos to the group for knowing their stuff when it comes to early 70s prog and space rock - a retro-tinged masterpiece. Dig it!"




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Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Mighty High Blog Tour Release Party: Listen Now!

Hey guys! Brooklyn's rebellious beer-chugging filthy punk and rollers Mighty High have a new album called "Legalize Tre Bags" releasing soon on Ripple Music. In association with Ripple Music and a few other stellar blogs, the band is taking you on a Blog Tour Release Party in which you will be able to sample a few songs off of the album as well as check out some mighty fine blogs in the process. So let's get to it!  Crack open your favorite brew of choice and prepare to blow out your speakers with tracks 4, 5, and 6 off of  "Legalize Tre Bags"! Oh yeah, and that's some crazy album artwork right there.



Track 4: Speedcreep


Mighty High-Speedcreep

Track 5: Tokin' and Strokin'


Mighty High-Tokin' N Strokin'

Track 6: Cheap Beer Dirt Weed


Mighty High-Cheep Beer Dirt Weed

Hope you enjoyed it! Have fun and enjoy the rest of the tour. Most importantly, buy the album to help support awesome underground music.

Tour Dates:

Tuesday June 26th: Soda Shop
Wednesday June 27th: Heavy Planet 
Thursday June 28th: Cosmic Lava
Friday June 29th: The Ripple Effect
All week, Grip of Delusion Radio

And catch Mighty High performing Legalize Tre Bags live & nasty:

Saturday June 30 at The Rock Shop in Brooklyn, NY

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Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Zac's "Double Dose": Earth Drive / God's Own Prototype

 

Earth Drive: Ink Storm 


Earth Drive’s release Ink Storm is a soundscape of dense riffs and melodies filled with bursts of psychedelia and noise. This Portuguese sextet is an emotive bunch combining the sensual touch of a woman’s voice [Sara Antunes] and the visceral angst through down-tuned guitars and angry vocals [Hermano Prese]. The psychedelic scenes, heard in Lactomeda and title track Ink Storm, are hypnotic adding great depth to an already ornamented sound. Check out their video for Underwater Cork below and if you want to hear more of Ink Storm, check out reverbnation where it is streaming in its entirety.

 

Members: 
Andre Santos - Guitar 
Fernandinho Prese - Drums 
Hermano Marques - Guitar / Vocals 
Jorge Pinela - Guitar 
Luis Silva - Bass 
Sara Antunes - Vocals

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God's Own Prototype: Fall Apart, Everytime You Feel Like... 


God's Own Prototype is a Polish quartet formed in 2010. Deciding to take an instrumental approach to their music, God's Own Prototype rely on emotional and ambient pulsations. This pulse and natural ebb and flow, found on latest release Fall Apart, Everytime You Feel Like… are direct influences from post-metal legends Pelican and Russian Circles. God’s Own Prototype use similar luscious guitar harmonies and add a distinct signature with sub and super-sonic waves of reverb and feedback. The atmosphere God’s Own Prototype breathes, although ambient, remains “rooted in rock and metal”. Check out my favorite track Reframing below and be sure to check out the entire EP streaming at bandcamp.

 

Members:

 Artur - Guitar 
Irek - Guitar 
Tomek - Drums
Wojtek - Bass 

Monday, June 25, 2012

New Band To Burn One To: BEHIND JAGGI LINES

Heavy Planet presents today's "New Band To Burn One To"...BEHIND JAGGI LINES!



Band Bio:

The Band BEHIND JAGGI LINES, formed in January 2010 in Wolfsburg / Germany, does not want to reinvent the wheel, but let's spin it damn good! BEHIND JAGGI LINES want to be a niche for people, who like self-made, warm, seventies oriented rock music. So all people out there, that like to drive a rusted old Chevy over dusty highways - you're right here!

Risk a visit BEHIND JAGGI LINES!



Thoughts:

"I have been on this huge female-fronted band thing as of late. And if you  heard our latest podcast you would understand why. Behind Jaggi Lines is just that. Lead by a singer simply known as Sue, the band tears it up with a vintage sound full of steady guitar riffing and high energy output. Ok, let's get back to Sue. This woman has a passionate, full and raspy wavering in her voice which is a splendid compliment to the band's music. As I was listening I was trying to compare a vocalist to which Sue may sound like. Does anyone remember 90's one-hit wonder 4 Non Blondes? I think Sue has a lot of qualities similar to Linda Perry. Maybe not as full and quirky, but this girl can definitely bring it. I hope this band continues on because I would love to see where this goes. Check them out at the sites below."

((facebook|website|myspace|youtube))

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Sunday, June 24, 2012

Sunday Sludge: Pigs - "You Ruin Everything"


I guess I was in one o' those moods.  Saturday night turned into Sunday morning, I accomplished absolutely nothing, and every person in my life went fuckin' bananas.  I discovered a struggle to breathe, an ache in my lower back, and the realization I could never hang with the younger crowd in the first place.  Fuck it.  Perhaps I needed an album that oozed as much disdain and misanthropy as I held so tightly.  But Brooklyn's Pigs boasted a disenchanted smother that made short work of my mood-swing tap dance.

Formed in 2008, Pigs is the stitch of three wandering souls who cut their teeth playing in bands like Unsane, Freshkills, and Converge.  I'm not sure who's responsible for bringing together these three in a studio, but shake his hand as you kick him in his balls.  There's an element of discomfort on You Ruin Everything, but it's a discomfort you expected.  What you didn't expect was accessibility or relief when the band gets REAL nasty.  Let's say your fuzzy head is buried between the legs of the next Shannon Tweed and she happens to reek of the sea.  But when she farts, it's a breath of fresh air.  I guess Pigs sound a little like that.

From the opening stomp to the album's hazy-drone fadeout, the noise-sludge cements this disc as impossible to toss.  The slow, ungodly Give It is as low-slung as it is utterly vile, occasionally amping the sour and spreading the sticky.  You feel as sweaty and agitated as the band, swollen by Dave Curran's guitar blisters.  The rhythm sticks to just about everything, complete with an unidentifiable fuzz that hovers above the noise-boils.

The album contains several surprisingly quick moments that fail to detract from the mire.  Whitewash  is up-tempo noise-punk that's merely punctuated with bouncing sludge.  Curran's vocals remain shrouded and disenchanted, guitars sputter skyward, and Andrew Schneider's bass scrapes everything into hell.  Contrition Dilemma, for all its punk groove, is loaded with crusty ambition that migrates toward the sky as Jim Paradise thumps for scraps in the most hollow of drums.  The ease of Mashantucket is broken by the spit of Curran's sand and salt.  Every note is perfectly crafted and executed, spitting fire without relent.  Drums pulverize, guitars blister, bass drags... Throughout everything, Pigs remain looser than your aunt Tina.

The crunch and squish of Drained is nether-worldly.  Crawling beneath a clunk-guitar escape, listeners are summoned to gargle glass and cough-up animal fat before they're allowed to leave.  The ambition of Outburst Calendar can't mask the low suspicion.  Strong grunge rhythms marry accomplished musicianship and the band reveals how seasoned they really are.  The album's evolution begins here, as anger truly manifests itself and listeners grasp exactly what the album spills.

But don't let their pedigree fool you; Pigs can get plenty weird.  Backwoods bullshit is welcomed on Scrum, one of album's sludge highlights.  All elements finally meld their misery, but the grind is only half the struggle. These gears are dried, broken, and pissed off.  When the noise begins to careen, you realize the band had nowhere else to take this sound.  Drums march on Small c Celebrity, accompanied by cautious-guitar tip-toes. Schneider hides his bass behind trees, shaking his dick at passers-by. Curran's scream breaks the tension and fully embraces the thick discord. Just accept this, folks... The track bounces and scratches, but ultimately it breaks down and melts far easier than it really should.

Bookending with the tandem of At Least It's An Ethos Parts I & II, You Ruin Everything leaves no question as to whether Pigs can marry divergent styles with songcraft deserving of celebration.  Part I pulls a cool, pensive drove that throbs with emotion.  The angry toil through wet leaves is packed with pensive composition, hidden with a blanket of lament and disgust.  The chorus is somehow strangely, disturbingly melodic, and you haven't  heard anything so loose and so thick all at once.  And Part II... the slow haunt is met with powerful samples that somehow don't detract.  Sounding like the comforting voice that's not, the track appears to push modern medicine despite its failures.  A slow grind of organs and bones finds its place amid the filth.  If your wheel ain't greased, you ain't been payin' no mind.

If Pigs ever chose to clean up their act, they'd still remain the filthiest band in New York.  I'm not talkin' GG Allin-filthy, that's fucking ridiculous.  The loose, greasy tones contained in these eleven tracks replace your giddy nod with the slightest of twitches.  Spin it, say your prayers, and hope your hands don't shake so badly when you wake up.  Pigs aren't gonna cure your ills or pull you from the dry well, they're gonna jump down there with you.  And by the time the police show up, each of these songs is stuck on your tongue.




Saturday, June 23, 2012

Album Review: Greenleaf - Nest of Vipers


What exactly does Small Stone Records look for in a band? Everything I’ve heard on Small Stone is good, raw and heavy. What’s the other factor? I’m curious since they don’t seem to release bad music in my opinion. Whether it’s Lo-pan or Greenleaf, there are always long chromatic riffs, melodic vocals, and ferocious drumming. Production value must play an important role. They tend to like bands that go for the classic analog sound, rather than state of the art digital production. Some of the bands fit more appropriately in the 70’s than now. Greenleaf is one of those bands, and one of the best.

Pushed to the forefront of the stoner rock ilk by a powerhouse drummer (Olle Mårthans), Greenleaf writes songs to drink to, songs to drive to. They have been around for a decade with different lineups in different configurations (features members of Dozer, Truckfighters), but on their latest LP- “Nest of Vipers”, they got it just right.

The entire record is full of intense drumming, Deep Purple guitar riffs, classic rock melodies and an overall vintage production. This is the kind of band, it doesn’t matter what song you’re on, it’s one continuous stream of awesome. The singer (Oskar Cedermalm) is more grunge than metal. It’s hard to tell if he listens to classic rock or anything post-Radiohead. I feel like Greenleaf could have happened in the 70‘s and it wouldn’t have sounded any different. To be truly IN a certain era from the past, one must stay pure and not be ‘too’ open-minded to the point of too much variety. That was the reason an artist like David Bowie got attacked by critics, for changing character every album. But needless to say, Bowie was awesome. But that’s solo artist stuff, Greenleaf is a band. Few bands can present a sound that’s so clear and precise to the public, it grabs their attention for being honest and direct. Perhaps that is what Small Stone saw in Greenleaf, a band that had not been distracted by the lure of mainstream, stayed true to the music, and delivered the goods on every album.

A notable feature of “Nest of Vipers”, is the use of the drums as a lead instrument. The opening track- “Jack Staff” holds a strong repetitive beat that reminds me of The Jesus Lizard. In my personal favorite, the mostly instrumental- “Tree of Life”, tribal rhythms circle you with gripping snare hits and unexpected chord directions. You’ll hear in “Dreamcatcher”, fuzzed-out guitar leads and wildly impressive drum fills. They say John Bonham took drumming to a heavier level. This guy takes off where Bonham left it. A more than competent musician, he shows his chops like Keith Moon, commanding a wide range of dynamics from part to part. The first thing to notice when listening to bands, is the drummer. If he sucks, there’s usually no point in going further. If he’s great, there’s no ceiling to how high the energy can get. The title track, placed last, is as epic as anything. A full-on prog rocker with a psychedelic vocal intro that falls into a choir-like chorus, making this the pinnacle of the album.

This kind of music isn’t for dissecting, you just have to listen. But I will say, there’s something going on in Sweden, for a while now, even in other genres, whether it’s Little Dragon or The Knife or The Soundtrack of Our Lives, Sweden is putting out the best music of the times. Mix that with the ears of the people at Small Stone, it’s a winning combination.


The members of Greenleaf are:

Tommi Holappa: Guitar
Bengt Bäcke: Bass
Oskar Cedermalm: Vocals
Johan Rockner: Guitar
Olle Mårthans: Drums

Guests:
Fredrik Nordin : Vocals (Nest of Vipers)
Per Wiberg: Organ (Lilith and Nest of Vipers)
Peder Bergstrand: Vocals (Sunken Ships)



Album Review: The Shrine - Primitive Blast


You know…I love it when a band can strip away the pretentiousness often associated with music and just have a balls out good time. You want intricate song structures, weighty lyrical themes or art house album covers? Look elsewhere my friends. The Shrine are three Venice Beach skate punks who couldn't give a shit less about those things. Their sound is a concoction of equal parts high energy and low morality that the band members themselves have lovingly dubbed "psychedelic violence." I'll just put it to you this way…if your aim is to get fucked up and make some bad decisions, then Primitive Blast should be your soundtrack.

You'll get my drift as soon as you hear the album's opening doom riff instantaneously deconstructed into the aural blitzkrieg that is "Zipper Tripper". Bassist Courtland Murphy plays the role of a musical pace car, daring his bandmates to keep up, while drummer Jeff Murray bashes out a series of punk rock beats with a striking measure of brutality. But before you get the notion that this is simpleton, three-chord, dumb-dumb rock, get a load of Josh Landau's guitar work as he plows through skull crushing thrash riffs and into a solo that would give Eddie Van Halen carpal tunnel syndrome. This is of course all done in celebration of debauchery mind you, as Josh sings the lyrics…"she says she don't want me around…guess where I am when the sun goes down."

You see what I'm getting at, right? At their heart, The Shrine are much more Black Flag than Black Sabbath, maintaining a furious punk rock pace throughout Primitive Blast that'll make your head spin. On "Whistlings of Death", Landau spits his carefree, political perspective…"got no solution, but a revolution"…over a loose groove that just barely manages to stay on this side of sanity. Bonus points to the vocalist for his mid-song, Halford-esque wail of "rev-o-lu-shaaaan." And on the album's title track he elaborates on another touchy topic, that of religion, with more tongue in cheek flair…"I've got no eternity and I've got no past"…as the band delves into hardcore/thrash crossover territory that hearkens back to their Venice Beach forefathers, Suicidal Tendencies.

Even when The Shrine slow things up, as they do on the catchy "Drinking Man", it's a short lived affair and then they're off and running again on a frenetic pace in this ode to the common drunk. "Deep River (Livin' to Die)" almost feels epic at six and a half minutes in length when compared to the rest of Primitive Blast, which in it's entirety, clocks in at just over 30 minutes. But isn't that as it should be? Isn't that sort of the intent? The Shrine plays music that, by design, gets to the point. There's no filler here, there's no pretense and no buildup, it's just pure hardcore intensity, rage and passion all to be taken with a grain of salt of course. This is punk rock for the new vinyl generation. It's crossover thrash played through Orange amps. This is what you should be listening to this summer when you hop your neighbors fence, drain their pool and skate the shit out of that motherfucker. The Shrine would be honored to be the soundtrack for such depravity.

Primitive Blast will be out on Tee Pee Records July 17, 2012.


Track Listing:
01 Zipper Tripper
02 Whistlings of Death
03 Freak Fighter
04 Run the Night
05 Primitive Blast
06 Louise
07 Wasted Prayer
08 Drinking Man
09 Deep River (Livin' to Die)

The Shrine is:
Josh Landau - Vocals/Guitar
Courtland Murphy - Bass
Jeff Murray - Drums



MIGHTY HIGH to Premiere Brand New Album on Blog Tour Release Party





FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

It ain’t politically correct and it ain’t safe, but since when was rock and roll about being correct or safe?

If snotty rebellion, played gloriously loud, with a big nod towards the 70’s legends of Motorhead, Grand Funk and AC/DC is your thing, then Mighty High may have just released your album of the year. Their ode to the epic virtue of cheap weed . . . Legalize Tre Bags.

Already the critics are raving about this blast of irreverent rock from Brooklyn’s finest regressive rock band. Ringmaster hailed Legalize Tre Bags as “a raucous feast of punk, weed, and middle finger attitude, most of all it is a deeply satisfying slab of rousing rock n roll.” The New York Music Daily swears that “if you like New York-centric weed jokes, you will love this album” and Jersey Beat raves that Legalize Tre Bags is “a gloriously loud blast of trashy’n’thrashy bluesy rock’n’roll .”

Now it’s time for you to find out what all the fuss is about.

Hot on the heels of Ripple Music’s international release of Legalize Tre Bags, Mighty High and Ripple Music offer you the opportunity to hear the whole album, and visit some great rock music sites to boot. Ripple Music has teamed with the finest leaders in heavy music journalism, The Soda Shop, Heavy Planet, Cosmic Lava, Grip of Delusion Radio, and The Ripple Effect, to bring you Ripple Music’s first ever Blog Tour Album Release Party.

Starting over at the Soda Shop on Tuesday, June 26th, you’ll be able to preview the first three songs on the forthcoming Legalize Tre Bags. Wednesday, the party moves over to Heavy Planet where three more songs will be debuted. Thursday, the gig is at Cosmic Lava for three more songs before the whole things winds up Friday at The Ripple Effect with the epic finale. Throughout the week, tune into Grip of Delusion Radio where Mighty High will be in frequent rotation. A smorgasbord of Mighty High madness.

Don’t miss the album that Heavy Metal Time Machine says stirs “together some classic rock riffs, punk rock energy and stoner rock madness to serve up some of the catchiest rock to come down the pike in some time.”

Blog Tour Schedule:

Tuesday June 26th: Soda Shop (www.thesodashop.us)
Wednesday June 27th: Heavy Planet (www.heavyplanet.net)
Thursday June 28th: Cosmic Lava (www.cosmiclava.de)
Friday June 29th: The Ripple Effect (www.ripplemusic.blogspot.com)
All week, Grip of Delusion Radio (www.gripofdelusion.com)

And catch Mighty High performing Legalize Tre Bags live & nasty:

Saturday June 30 at The Rock Shop in Brooklyn, NY www.therockshopny.com

RIPPLE MUSIC STORE
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Friday, June 22, 2012

Heavy Planet Podcast Episode #09: Girls Wanna Rock


This month the Heavy Planet Podcast treats your ears to some of the finest female-fronted bands the world has to offer. The bands represented here run the gammut from Occult Doom Rock to Horrific Sludge Metal. This is just a sampling of the many bands out there that deserve your attention. Missing from the podcast are progressive sludge stalwarts Kylesa (female vocals on some songs), enigmatic doom metal merchants Bloody Panda, doom duo Dark Castle, and I'm sure there are many others. But I know one thing is for damn sure, these ladies just want to rock!



Tune in this Sunday on Grip of Delusion Radio from 4:00 PM EST to 6:00 PM EST to hear what all the commotion is about.

Acid King-Teen Dusthead
Witch Mountain-End Game
Alunah-Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn
Windhand-Black Candles
Black Math Horseman-Origin of Savagery
Undersmile-Crab People
Black Moth-Blackbirds Fall
Thorr's Hammer-Dommedagsnatt
Blood Ceremony-Children of the Future
The Devil's Blood-Christ or Cocaine
SubRosa-Strega
Castle-Blacklands
Stake-Off the Witch-Deep Inside of Me
Spacegoat-Silver Swamp
Hijos De Mayo-Silence Unsaid
Siena Root-Nightstalker
Ides of Gemini-Starless Midnight
Royal Thunder-Mouth of Fire
Jess and the Ancient Ones-White Witch of Rose Hall
Rituals of the Oak-On the Sixth Moon
Misdemeanor-Mastery
Salome-Black Tides
Jex Thoth-Warrior Woman

LISTEN
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Thursday, June 21, 2012

Album Review: Stoned Jesus - "Seven Thunders Roar"


From the host country of the 2012 European Soccer Championships and the land of twenty million beautiful women comes the dynamic, talented trio of rock artists that form the splendid band Stoned Jesus, led by the artistry,  dexterity, drive, and vision of Igor Sidorenko. Joined by his bandmates Sergey Olegovich on bass and Vadim Matyko on drums, they have travelled down a familiar and well worn road, one that consists of line-up changes, gigs at small venues throughout Eastern Europe and Russia, honing their craft in front of discerning, veteran fans, and releasing an occasional EP or LP when circumstance and chance collide, in hopes the incredible craft and art ingrained into those releases somehow creates a spark of intrigue and interest that expands into a groundswell of popularity. All this while loving what they do, playing what they love, and rocking what they play for those veteran, discerning fans who are fortunate to experience rock in one of its purest forms from one of its many gifted practitioners.

Stoned Jesus play an artistic, spiritual brand of Stoner/Psychedelica on their latest release “Seven Thunders Roar”, incorporating all the important elements of low and slow, doom and distortion, fuzz and fury, while also winding through compelling sections of extended psychedelic excursions of spiritual revelation. To craft such exquisite rock renditions that combines the best of two distinct and highly enjoyable styles denotes a grand drive and determination blended perfectly with high craft and artistic deftness. Igor has delivered to his audience an opportunity to experience rock on the favorable canvas of both familiarity and novelty, incorporating favored stoner/doom sounds played with vigor and heart that crash against boundaries that were long ago established for volume, richness, and texture, but deftly integrated with freshly carved slices of guitar virtuosity, intoxicating in varying degrees of tempo, throbbing in intensity, and utterly intriguing in discovery as it unfolds through many layers and intertwining rhythms, virtually hooking you with fantastic, thrilling, and melodic pieces.

The music encountered on “Seven Thunders Roar” is a veritable treasure trove of discovery. The songs are long and meaty, ranging in time from the runt of the collection, “Indian”, clocking in at 1 second under 5 minutes, to 1 second over 16 minutes for “I’m the Mountain”. All of the songs have a hearty, beefy guitar that melds perfectly with an airier, more nimble accompaniment, both riding on top of vigorous, toe-tapping traps and thunderous bass, pulsing with fury, life, and pleasure. Stoned Jesus add more to the songs than simple stripped down instrumentation by each member, with wah-wahs here, quick and sweet little riffs there, little easter eggs of entertainment nestled throughout the tracks, coming out of the forest only upon the familiarity of multiple playings.

“Bright Like the Morning” has a ballad-like aura, with a beautiful and slow unfolding that sets the tone for melancholy and remorse, pain and despair, while Igor  “Pilgrim have you lost your way” in a clear and satisfying rock and roll voice as distinct and familiar as the music behind it. The song slowly builds, adding energy and urgency, letting in light and hope before reaching its crescendo in the chorus where the vocals match perfectly with the rhythm of the guitar licks playing an almost classic chord progression that is simple and clean, satisfying in delivery. Once the song delivers you to the top it never crashes down again, remaining within a pure, unadulterated deluge of sound and fury, continually adding to the mixture blistering solos from Igor and bad ass bass chords from Sergey, driven by the urgency of Vadim’s dexterous, athletic mastery of wood on skin.

The intro to “Electric Mistress” saunters  like a mama grizzly, growling in a low, slow rumble, a prelude for what is about to come for those that linger, which of course we do, because we welcome what the bear can wreak. The rumble gives way to a lone primal roar, ferocious and vibrant, with sawblade teeth, blending into an electrifyingly agile maneuver of catchy time signatures driven by insistent tattoos and bruising bass notes. At about the two-thirds mark the song takes an unexpected segue into Lectric Slow Down, the instruments all dropping intriguingly low, tantalzingly slow, pulling you intstantly into deep distortion and weirdness, a slo mo playback feel grinding through until one final outburst to normal rock 
time.

“Indian” is another engrossing and fun rock and roll undertaking in a similar vein to its predecessor. Igor’s vocals are full of heart and clarity, making a case for the wrongs wrought upon the Native Americans of North America by the white man, forcing his unconquerable spirit toward the path of war. Stoned Jesus hold nothing back as they work their magic throughout the ditty, playing various riffs and pieces that blend perfectly with the main verse and chorus. The song is just as adventurous in nature as “Electric Mistress”, upbeat and catchy, drawing you in with its adept execution of stoner instrumentation. It even has a slow down egress two thirds into the song, and although this artistic segue had just been successfully attempted on the previous track, it works here as well.

Things change up for “I’m the Mountain”, beginning with a nice ballad arrangement of acoustic guitar and crisp vocals laying out tune and melody of introspection and self searching, leading toward a fate of despair and desperation for the teller of the tale. The build up from this point is gradual, incremental in instrumentation and power, slowly, inexorably wending its way up and around twists and turns that tell a tale of anguish and woe before turning a corner and discovering a small ray of light that opens things up for little optimistic riffs blending on top of the melancholy undertones. Optimism builds until a mantra is formed . . . “I’m the Mountain, rising high. It’s the way that I survived.” Enthusiasm and encouragement build from this point, running to leave melancholia behind, but never truly escaping. The music played throughout this track does a masterful job of interpreting the lyrics, with variegated layers of exquisite instrumentation that constantly add to the sound and the story, gradually telling a tale that grows in complexity and richness, delivering the listener in the end safe and sound to the top of the mountain.

A lone, fuzzy riff sets the tone for “Stormy Monday”, joined in short order by the entire kith and kin of low, slow fuzz and melancholy, the signature sound for this closing track of eight monstrous minutes of stoner bliss. Stoned Jesus work their magic to perfection on this song, adding snippets of guitar here, harmony vocals there, building in power and volume, inexorably rising to an apex of imperial rapture.

Stoned Jesus are obviously committed to making music they enjoy, music with an edge and with artistic flare, and with a whole lot of heart and talent. They have designs already on two more albums, possibly to be released in the coming year, which speaks to their work rate and enjoyment of what they do. In the meantime we are treated to a truly superb album in "Seven Thunders Roar". Is this band destined for bigger and better things? They certainly have a few things in their favor when you consider their love for what they do, their ability to craft unique and interesting songs that blend hard driving stoner sound with loftier psychedelic overtures, and their work ethic, producing quality new music at timely intervals.





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Album Review : Major Kong - Doom for the Black Sun


An instrumental trio straight out of Poland birthed from the remnants of Fifty Foot Woman, Major Kong struck back sans-vocalist and took off with an EP entitled "Orogenesis.:" They then followed up with a full length in March entitled "Doom for the Black Sun." 
While the title parallels a certain famous band from the california desert's famous record, the album pours on a heaping load of delicious cannabuttery flavor all its own.

The band brings a big stirfry of the regular doom catalog. With dinosaur sized riffs and down right disgusting grooves,  Major Kong creates a unique amalgam of what one could only describe as Bongzilla doing steamroller hits with Earthless - and deciding to record the ensuing jam.

The album hits it off with sampled occult themed audio, than the bludgeoning begins.The opener "IDDQD" echoes ferocious Electric Wizard-isms before splashing into a wailing solo. This track than plows into a major section laden with envelope filtered drones that plow into more modal tinged riffage. The song trills with timbres one could liken to Rosetta or Tombs- thick, crushing, and atmospheric - yet still burning.

The next tune, "The Swamp Altar" traverses into a dominant blues territory, first engaging us with clean pickin' before launching thru distortion laden splendor. This track oozes Church Of Misery style mischief, bludgeoning the listener with another zesty solo and breaching into vicious southern style metal. The title in this case is undoubtedly telling- a listen to for any fan of obnoxiously loud swamp metal (think Down or Weedeater.)

Enter "Primordial Gas Clouds." Damn. before bursting into diminished/chromatic minor doomliness, the band lays down a thick semi swung drum groove. This one really brings to mind HoF's "The Art of Self Defense" riffwise before splitting into pentatonic tinged guitar wankery. Recommended for anyone who's into Matt Pike!

"Acid Transmission"- exactly as one would expect. A long wobbly, warbly, woofy bit. it once again starts with an eerie sample before spitting itself back into gear. The middle section has the same vibe as any Clutch solo (due to similar effects processing) and thus kind of brings to mind the aforementioned band's 2nd album. The tune eventually divulges into dissonant squelches, spitting you right back out ...

...to "Witches On My Land." Once again opening with a freaky battered woman's sample, this tune pours on the doom syrup with another dose of Sleep-tinged riffs. Slow and low - the track fits perfectly in with the rest of the tunes- only suffering from a repeated key and similarity to the prior songs. Thematically however, the tune is in line with everything else going on thus far.

The last track is seriously straight out of Bongzilla's riff vault. Wicked, steady, and straight ahead- "Demolition Whale" plods forward at the continued bewitched stoner pace. Interestingly the tune in 3/4 offers  a little time variation. When the tune eeks out with atmospheric flanged effects it's pretty clear what's going on here with this Polish power trio.

A band very well-versed on the fundamentals of stoner rock this should be an great listen for any Weedian. The only thing the album suffers from is length- the band gets a little bogged down from evoking prior riffs as the songs progress- however- that is not to say that the listening experience is unenjoyable. This band definitely has promising horizons and a clear understanding of who their audience is. I hope we get more nuggets of these guys in the future!

"Witches On My Land" and  "The Swamp Altar"previously appeared on "Orogenesis"

Major Kong is:
Dominic Stachyra- Bass
Pawel Zmarlak - Drums
Michal Skula- Guitars

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Zac's "Double Dose": Baroness: Yellow and Green

 

Baroness: Yellow


I felt it necessary to change the Double Dose up this week, rather than hit two groups of musicians we will split a double album, due out mid July. What better album… what other album, than Baroness’ Yellow and Green. I had extremely high expectations for this release knowing that Baroness was the band that dragged me deeper into the extreme and intricate underground metal scene. With the 2009 release of Blue I found myself hooked on the dual guitar glory, John Baizley’s southern gruff and the outstanding artwork. Knowing the band were down to earth guys (after meeting them on the 2010 Volcom Tour) and their strict no compromise on creativity and live performance-as-art mentality, I had high hopes for Yellow and Green.  And my friends I was not disappointed. 


Compared to past releases the first half, Yellow, overall has a more rock personality. However, it sounds natural within the progression of Baroness’ discography. The opening passage, Yellow Theme, is composed and placed in true Baroness style as an instrumental delicacy, short but certainly not a filler. The first single, Take My Bones Away, takes a huge leap for Yellow as a power anthem with a slight undertone of “throw-back” Baroness character. It is impossible not to mention the brilliance of the third track March to the Sea. For the first time we hear the new side of Baroness. The song actually sounds pretty, yes a pretty pop intro on a Relapse Records release. This doesn’t last long though, with a drum thump and quick strummed riff we are back into a more recognizable sound. Also, for the first time Baroness’ lyrics are forward and tell a story rather than obscure poetry in need of digging for meaning. March to the Sea’s lyrics in particular tell a beautiful story of heartbreaking loneliness. Yellow carries on with a mixture of smooth and easy melodies and rockin’ anthems until the final track Eula. Here begins the ‘green’ shift towards the band’s experimental realm...


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

 

Baroness: Green 

Green is the game changer for Baroness. This is the music that exposes the band and shows their vulnerability. Honestly, through this bravery Baroness will never be labeled as they once were with the Georgia progressive sludge movement. Once again we find an instrumental opener, intoxicating and seemingly picking up where Bullhead’s Psalm left us some three years ago. The music is uplifting and smoothly transitions into Board Up the House, the catchiest song on the entire record. So full of hooks you would think Torche and Butch Walker had their hands in the pot. Green now sets the stage for a direction change in the music. Looking further away from the rock persona built up through Yellow and the beginning of Green Baroness become submerged in atmosphere and emotion, building and finally apexing with Psalms Alive. The band also reminisce all the way back to Red with elegant picking and strumming found on Stretchmaker and John and Pete’s dual guitar battle on The Line Between. And where would we be without a lazing respite, giving us a moment to sink with the final moments of Green… 


Don’t believe that Baroness has made something more mainstream or commercially popular (AKA sellout)… John and the gang have kept the entire movement deep rooted in art and creativity and you just have to respect that.  The guitar tones remain drenched in that Virginia sweat and new bassist Matt Maggioni (Unpersons) picks up right where Summer [Welch] left off.  Baroness have proven something unique throughout the past ten years… metal is more cultured than ever and reaching to a wider audience, endlessly. Therefore I send my deepest thanks to the band for Yellow and Green, Thank you! 


 If you haven’t done so yet, check out their second single March to the Sea:

 

Members: 
John Dyer Baizley – Guitars / Vocals / Keyboards 
Pete Adams – Guitars / Vocals 
Allen Blickle – Drums / Percussion / Keyboards 
Matt Maggioni – Bass

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

New Band To Burn One To: DISASTROID



Heavy Planet presents today's "New Band To Burn One To"...DISASTROID!


Band Bio:

From time to time one stumbles on a record that simply kicks ass. Disastroid's upcoming LP "Money and Guilt" is no exception. This rock epic takes the listener on a ride through a minefield of tempo changes, metric modulation, and other surprises that turn your guts. By and large it employs the best that rock has to offer while showcasing refined musicianship and purpose.

Huge guitar tone, heavy riffs, driving rhythms, and melodic vocals are the salient components of Disastroid's music. While their sound can be reminiscent to some of the heroes of 90's rock (Melvins, Rollins Band, Jesus Lizard, Soundgarden, etc.), the band has a hard time labeling their work. As frontman Enver Koneya points out "We have no real formula... we just make music that pleases ourselves. It just so happens that others like the sound as well."

Enver assembled Disastroid in San Francisco from spare parts he found on Craigslist. After recording an EP on his own, Travis Williams jumped on board taking over the bass chair. Travis has had great influence on the direction of the group and over the past three years he and Enver have prolifically written and recorded three albums, most recently with Braden McGaw on drums.

Since their inception Disatroid has been busy. In addition to recording the group has been gaining fans steadily as they perform along the west coast. They've also managed to amass a devoted following in their home base of San Francisco, a city which tends to be oriented toward the clinically critical and the cynically hipster. They were recently featured in Thrasher Magazine and have accumulated tons of local and national attention. On Disastroid’s horizon is a tour to the Pacific Northwest to support of the release of "Money and Guilt".



Thoughts:
"This is what you get if you put Queens of the Stone Age, Soundgarden, and Melvins into a blender and hit mix. With balls-out Cornell-like vocals, jagged bouncy rhythms, a bit of deafening sludge and an aura of awesomeness, Disastroid will have you stomping your feet and bashing your head in no time. These three songs are an incredible representation of what this band is capable of. Pure, fun, energetic and unexpergated rock and roll.  Only three songs, damn!"
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Monday, June 18, 2012

New Band To Burn One To: HUMAN JAIL

Heavy Planet presents today's "New Band To Burn One To"...HUMAN JAIL!


Band Bio:

Human Jail hail from Lille, France. Formed in 2009, their sound is a culmination of stoner, southern rock and powerful metal. With a powerful voice and rythm section, they bring punchy rock'n'roll with tinted guitar riffs. While touring in France, the band shared the stage with other artists such as Karma to Burn (US), City of Ships 5fr), Zuul Fx (fr) and Headcharger (Fr). During their first European tour, organized for the release o ftheir first EP, "First Step to Breakout" released in April 2010.

The band began production of their first full length album, "the Soul Allegory". Recording started in February 2011 at C&P Studio (Sequedin, France, 59), with an album release planned for december 2011. Human Jail is eagerly working toward the album release, featuring mastering by Howie Weinberg, as well as a second tour in 2012. the band is celebrating their recent partnership with Damon Moreno of US based Inner Light Agency for full managerial representation. See Human jail now and see what everyone is talking about !



Thoughts:
"With a killer groove, gravel-fed vocals and a southern metal swagger, France's Human Jail put their heel on your throat and don't let up. Along with a punching, jagged and down right move-your-ass rhythm, Human Jail's latest release "The Soul Allegory" is filled with catchy and powerful tracks. The guitars shriek and squeal with slithering riffs and shredding solos as the howling vocals bark at you with reckless abandon. On a few of the tracks, you are greeted with acoustic passages similar in sound to Tantric (trust me, that is all that these two bands have in common) introducing what will eventually be a total domination of your ear drums. If you dig that good ole' southern metal sound a la Black Label Society, then check out Human Jail today! Grab a fifth of Jack and crank this muther up!"
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Sunday, June 17, 2012

Sunday Sludge: Shakhtyor


Many skeletons of the industrial revolution have given way to modern, progressive interests.  Where factories once stood now lie casinos, river walks, or corporate-thought office buildings.  Turning down particular side streets, however, may carry you straight into some dusty, crumbling haunts that once guaranteed work for the everyman.  To many, these eyesores are little more than real estate that just isn't worth the trouble.  To others, these vacant mills represent promise and progress that has migrated toward greener pastures.

Hamburg, Germany, a hub of transport and culture, paradoxically serves as home to today's featured Sunday Sludge artists, SHAKHTYOR.  On their self-titled debut album, Shakhtyor instrumentally paint a canvas of desolate, idle communities shackled by their own glimmer of what was once called hope. Four tracks compose this forty-minute history lesson, complete with a staggering blend of sludge, doom, and stoner-metal that sways like loose scaffolding.  These songs build, swell, and crumble in a manner that only the most patient of musicians can deliver.

The album's opener, E. Jasper, maintains a thick, pensive buzz via distant guitar plucks.  Rhythms lumber along cracked streets as the stoner sludge is met with the drone of layered riffs.  Shakhtyor know when to relent, but don't think they're doing you any favors.  The slow, cool buzz becomes a heavy hover that's sticky with hot tar.  Chris takes his guitar licks straight into the cosmos, but he's dragging the muddled, shackled rhythms right behind him. The crunch and clunk of militant boot-heels is the only taper that fits.

Nils' drums roll through like slow-moving freight on Handschuhmann, holding a steady stoner tempo with sludge gravity.  Drums and fretwork form a parity until a fuzzy rumble weakens your knees.  The song evolves into darkness and destruction, burning and blistering the skin of clones in the feeding line. The slow sludge march is peppered with Chrischan's bass trap that pins not only the sound but also the song's entire mood.

The album's final tracks demonstrate Shakhtyor's patience with their instruments and confidence in themselves. Пayk PИбa is a foggy foretell of approaching evil, marked by guitar jabs and drum slaps.  Slow and cocksure, the rhythm briefly picks up before reclining even further.  This smoky roll between shipyards and mines scrapes bone as if we've been thrown into neutral.  Keeping low to the ground, the cadence grows under gravel before fluttering and flattening everything all at once.  These structures were crumbling anyway.  Shakhtyor entered to stop the bleeding and respond to the death knell.

The ominous crawl of K.I. employs down-tempo cruising on the back of thick, sticky gravity.  Guitars splinter and eject on this steady, heady course through a wasteland of foundries that gave way to technology.  Somber tones wallow and warble, finger-painting distress signals with their own thin blood. Atmospheric and, at times, psychedelic, this opus creeps to a tip-toe under devolving sludge.  Growing slower, grinding, plodding... This is a sway you just can't steer clear from.

It's hard to imagine an instrumental sludge record telling a story or crafting an image.  Shakhtyor's debut is riddled with gorgeously haunting imagery that only the most expansive of imaginations could share.  You'll actually feel like the Russian miner serving as the band's namesake.  The band has stated they never bothered looking for a vocalist.  This isn't a "less-is-more" approach; this is an exercise in craftsmanship and artistry so rarely seen because many bands don't have the stones to try.  Shakhtyor have all they need.


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Saturday, June 16, 2012

EP Review: Telestrion - Molecule


Telestrion is a space rock band from Atlanta, GA who are about to release a new EP called- “Molecule”. It’s sci-fi rock, sorta like The Flaming Lips meet The Mars Volta without the prog element. I prefer it that way. I always thought if The Mars Volta were more song oriented, less wanking, I’d like their music more. And The Flaming Lips are always artistically gratifying, even without the schticks you see at their shows. If you add in Ozzy’s snarl, the lyrical charm of Marc Bolan and a load of Matt Cameron drum fills, you’ll get a sense of what to expect from Telestrion.

This is definitely a band of dudes with serious record collections and heavy duty guitar pedals. Underneath their science fiction lyrics about ‘Neon Spaceships’, there’s an implied party-rock vibe, like Kiss or T Rex. It takes balls-out honesty to end a lyrical phrase with ‘let’s get high’, as they do in the opening title-track. It’s a majestic opener with trippy synth leads flying over sporadic drum fills, as if this was planned to sound like a return to the classic rock records of the 1970’s. You will hear a lot of guitar solos and a lesson on every which way to use the wah wah. Their heart’s in the right place, as they retain their punk rock ethos inside perfectly crafted song structures. The musicianship is impressive to say the least, particularly those guitar solos. Billy Corgan would be proud. This must be one hell of an impressive band to see live, like the best of all your favorite rock bands of the past four decades.

“Tunnel in the Sky” keeps the EP at an exciting pace with some groovy percussion and futuristic sound effects, an instrumental track coming after a rock anthem, which is telling for a band. It means they’re not trying to fit in to any single mold and that they are doing what they want, making the records they want to make. Too many bands these days focus on one particular sound as a selling point, eventually getting pigeon-holed with any success they might achieve. Some might argue that point, conversely calling-out Telestrion for being self-indulgent. Why not? We need more self-indulgence in current rock bands, especially when the players are as talented as this. And what would make this EP any more awesome than it already is? A pitch-perfect cover version of “A National Acrobat” as thick as Black Sabbath ever played it. They nail it, not only performance-wise, but the production as well. It’s almost identical to the original, down to the drum effect. My guess, is they went to a studio with various sorts of analog gear and a top-notch engineer working the board. You gotta love a band that plays Sabbath exactly like Sabbath.

“Slightly Sideways” continues where “Tunnel in the Sky” left off, another instrumental track with dueling guitar experimentation and congas similar to Sabotage-era Sabbath. I keep thinking of the second half of “Symptom of the Universe”. (Some guitar pedal company should really endorse this band)

“Time and Space” is the production of Pink Floyd’s “Us and Them”, but explosive in dynamics. Ascending, uplifting guitar riffs give way to hymn-like choruses. The vocals are spot on Pink Floyd harmonies, as intentional as their Sabbath cover. I love how they sneak into these Floyd sections, for a verse or just a part, then the lead singer’s back to that nasally Ozzy snarl. I never imagined a band could blend Sabbath and Floyd so well together.

Closing this EP, is “The Sacred Relics”, diving into Sonic Youth territory. Throughout the record, the band already proves to be highly skilled musicians, why not lose your mind and go wild on the final track? It’s a free for all double dose of guitar ambience entrancing the listener into forgetting how the whole thing started. One minute you’re listening to a singalong rock record, next you’re enclosed in the psychedelic realm of the no-wave guitarists of the 70’s.

All in all, Telestrion wear their influences on their sleeves, proudly. It’s like a history lesson of rock and roll in a 30 minute EP. I assume the vinyl sounds amazing, considering how well it’s produced. And the band has also announced a re-issue of their full length self-titled LP on vinyl, featuring a 13 minute epic- “Lost in the Sky” with the most ripping guitar solos, fantastic harmonies, reminds me of something off STP’s “Tiny Music”, but jazzier. And just like their Sabbath cover, they NAIL “Astronomy Domine” with perfection. I usually enjoy when bands make their own impression of a song, but if you’re not gonna do it different, do it right. So far, Telestrion is on their way up, a band that can do no wrong, as long as they stay true to their influences and continue onward with the spirit of good old fashioned rock and roll.


The members of Telestrion are:

Andy Samford - Guitar, Vocals, Bass, Drums, Keyboards, Synths
Brian Holcomb - Guitar, Vocals, Theremin, Keyboards, Synths
Dwayne Jones - Drums
Jonathan Lee - Bass



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