Nuclear Dog's Atomic Split: Orchid - "The Mouths of Madness" / Kadavar - "Abra Kadavar"

From out of the mists of recent success comes two albums highly anticipated by the ol' Nuclear Dog, as well as by many fans spanning the stoner globe. The first comes from Orchid, a band that has released 2 highly successful albums in the recent past, with the latest one an LP garnering a first place position on Reg’s Top 20 Albums of 2011. The quality of rock Orchid have delivered to the masses on those past releases naturally generate a tremendous level of anticipation from fans of these dark dreadnoughts. The second album comes from relative newcomers Kadavar who just last year released their debut album and landed on my own Top 20 list, so much did I thoroughly enjoy their blitzing riffage. A common thread that runs through these two bands beyond our sweaty expectations is the type of music they play. Both bands hearken wonderfully back to the heyday of heavy rock n roll with guitarcentric music packaged in magnificent melodies and driven with bombastic passion.
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ORCHID - "THE MOUTHS OF MADNESS"

Orchid hail from San Francisco and have been together since 2007, making and playing unbelievably awesome heavy rock in the classic vein of the great bands of the 70s such as Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, perhaps the band they are most identified with. Consciously or unconsciously, Orchid, especially on "The Mouths of Madness", channel original Black Sabbath in almost every way but in vocals, and that's not so far off as to be a detraction. This is not a bad thing. They aren't necessarily mimicking Sabbath so much as taking up the mantle of Sabbath-like music, and doing it perfectly, and by perfectly I mean sounding LIKE Sabbath's music without sounding exactly like Black Sabbath. They sound like Orchid. For me, that's an incredible feat, and a cherished result, because the sound the original Black Sabbath created is priceless and deserves more creative execution. No one else in the history of rock has truly pulled this off, and that includes iterations of Black Sabbath itself after Ozzy left. But that's my take on it. I'd wager that even if you don't agree with it you'll agree that the music on this album is humongous in solid, satisfying low tuned and heavy sound.

Band members of Orchid are:

Theo Mindell - Vocals
Carter Kennedy - Drums
Mark Thomas Baker - Guitar
Keith Nickel - Bass

Huge, heavy, low tuned riffs are the hallmark of Orchid's music, something they have delivered in spades on their initial EP release "Through the Devil's Doorway" and more recently on their first LP release "Capricorn", but on "The Mouths of Madness" they have up the ante by delving a little deeper into the darkness, wrapping uncanny guitar and bass riffs in pitch black wickedness, giving rise to a timbre of shadows and monstrosity. What tops off the toothsome signature sound are vocals at once unique, compelling, and custom made for the music. All in all, this latest album is a black ribbon gift of impeccable conveyance.

Nine songs have been rendered on "The Mouths of Madness", none more full to bursting with manic melody and classic guitar riffs than the title song which opens the album like a long lost companion of unbridled passion.

"Marching Dogs of War" elicits dark nostalgia in a way that penetrates directly to some primal dark core where the tapestry of Baker's guitar and Nickel's bass entwine perfectly with the percolating perfection of Mindell's vocals.

"Silent One" is a psychedelic romp of sheer delight where low tuned guitar licks are meshed with Kennedy's masterful drum fills and Baker's dextrous solos, and where spacey reverberations echo throughout the melodic journey of dark energy.

"Nomad" is a vocal triumph, where Mindell expresses remarkable power and depth in relating a fantastic tale through the purposeful tempo of strings and sticks, moving through a number of vocal variations throughout the course of the song, executing each with a masterful stroke.

"Mountains of Steel" could have been an apt album title for this ennead of superlative symphony, but, as one of nine delivers the same monstrous, gargantuan sound as its brethren.

"Leaving it All Behind" delivers a classic sound that isn't as deep and dark as those before it and after, instead eliciting an incredibly beautiful melody and guitar delivery that is driven home once again by Mindell's spot on vocals.

"Loving Hand of God" is heavy and low, with fibers of guitar clarity strategically intertwined through the dark package of melodic endeavor, consisting of a changing tempo that ranges from deliciously slow and deliberate to an upbeat solo stack of blistering heat.

"Wizard of War" is christmas and birthdays combined with the sabbath, a pure mountain of low tuned sweetness, from the mega deep riffs and tight tempo to the clarity and presence of impeccable vocals, topped off with solo heat that has a frayed and dangerous edge.

"See You on the Other Side" signs off the album in aggressive style, raining guitar solo fire and impassioned vocals onto an energetic melodic odyssey replete with unrelenting pneumatic drumwork.

This album is exceptional in many ways, but strip out all the superlatives and comparisons and measure it solely on its execution and delivery and it stands up as a timeless masterpiece, simple as that. Yes, it will enter the discussion as year's best, and will come up against some stiff competition, perhaps even from its doppelganger band (we can only hope), but make no mistake, it will be there with the very best once the dust settles. I'd even wager it will be there long after, standing beside Orchid's first two releases, and any subsequent work bound to come out down the years, as a compendium of colossal celebration.

Order the new CD at Nuclear Blast




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KADAVAR - "ABRA KADAVAR"

The beauty of this decade, and likely beyond, in terms of awesome heavy rock is the amalgam of the best of 70s metal and 90s grunge along with the underground stoner rock and high desert sounds of the 90s and the 00s. Many kids who grew up listening to their parents' music and their elder siblings' or friends' music were likely exposed to a tremendous amount of great classic metal and underground rock. As those kids have become adults playing in their own rock bands, whether from the U.S., the Netherlands, Sweden, Germany, Argentina, or anywhere on the globe, they are developing masterful strokes of monstrous metal magic. Hailing from Berlin, Germany, Kadavar are the vanguard of that development, leading the way with their colossal creations of mega metal. Two incredible albums in two short years, while not unheard of, is still a major accomplishment for any band, but to follow what was widely considered a resounding successful debut with a sophomore effort so soon is incredible, and risky only if it's not up to the standard already set upon themselves. The question Kadavar have put to us, then, on this sophomore rendition is, 'is "Abra Kadavar" as good or better than our self titled debut?' The conclusion, before going through the evidence, is YES! Somehow, using the momentum gained on that self titled juggernaut, Kadavar have managed to kick their Bavarian beast machine up a whole 'nother level and blast on down the highway of classic/retro heavy rock on an engine firing on all cylinders and purring with volume and perfect synchronicity.

Band Members on Kadavar are:

Lupus Lindemann - Vocals / Guitar
Mammut - Rivoli Bass
Tiger - Drums

To start, the overriding brilliance of Kadavar comes across to us in the same manner used by all bands who create meaningful, worthwhile heavy rock, with phenomenal guitar, skilled vocals, and superb melodies. For Kadavar the vocals and guitar happen to be delivered by one member, Lindemann. But, it's imperative to point out that the hard driving, relentless sound of Kadavar's brilliant melodies would be flat and listless without the gifted and impassioned rhythm section of Mammut's Rivoli bass and Tiger's extraordinary drumwork. Listen closely and you will find skillsets far above the bar where excellence begins to be measured. There is an energy and athleticism in their melodious maneuvering, lending power and magnificence to the sound and the song.

Lindemann's vocals are perfectly matched to Kadavar's music, but beyond the quality of his vocal outpourings is the manner in which Kadavar arrange them on the recordings, just a bit behind the instrumentals, keeping strings and sticks at the forefront where they deliver not only the signature sound, but also elicit the unyielding satisfaction of a willing and engaged audience.

"Abra Kadavaar" is resplendent with music, consisting of 10 tracks, each a marvel in its own right. The opening track, "Come Back Life" has a slight haunting quality, nostalgic in feel, and spiritual in delivery with crisp, clean guitar work threaded throughout in doses of refrain and dashes of solo blitzes. "Doomsday Machine" follows, and is arguably one of the top tracks on this collection. The same haunting vocal quality persists, but the guitar renderings pick up in intensity and deliberation, performing a tight spiral of crunchy riffs and blistering solos. "Eye of the Storm" follows with a change in tempo and executional feel, delivering an intriguing melody enhanced by powerful bass strokes and brutal drumwork topped off with what is obviously the signature brilliance of Lindemann's guitar licks. "Black Snake" is a plaintive wail mired in blues laced rock, beautiful, unique, and utterly intriguing. The halfway point comes quickly as "Dust" blasts onto the fore in controlled explosions of perfect timing and leviathan riffs.

The second half of the album starts out ablaze with "Fire", a big, bold amalgam of sound enhanced by Lindemann placing more emphasis on vocals as instrument this time around, in which he exercises a challenging lyrical component with passion and superior proficiency. "Liquid Dream" unloads at first like a ton of bricks before narrowing down to a tight, powerful assault and battery of escalating intensity. This song is unique and simultaneously enjoyable . "Rhythm for Endless Minds" is a fuzz fueled psychedelic trip of epic proportions, riding a musical tapestry of intertwined sounds and existential riffs overlaid by ethereal, haunting vocals. The title song, "Abra Kadavar" continues the colorful and euphonic odyssey but on a brighter, more colorful tapestry using heavier gauge threads of guitar riffs, drum rills, and bass fills, interwoven in complex and intriguing pattern of enchantment. The album closes out with "The Man I Shot" returning to the classic, nostalgic formula that was followed previously on the album, unfolding a sound that is at once fresh and nostalgic, reminiscent of  a long lost rock experience from days gone by and eras past but still reverberating in the blacker recesses of a dark subconsciousness.

This is another album that goes immediately into consideration for 'best of' discussions once the year end is upon us. In a genre in which listeners, followers, fans, and disciples demand exception and excellence, Kadavar have delivered that in triplicate. There is depth and texture to all ten songs, providing the listener with vast opportunities to explore oft and anon the weavings, nuances, and tapestries intertwined throughout the album.

Order a copy of the CD or vinyl at Nuclear Blast





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Nuclear Dog's Atomic Split - Mamont - "Passing Through the Mastery Door" / Atlantic Valley - "Mammoth"

Today, Followers of the Fuzz, we present to you for your listening pleasure 2 bands who wield the fuzz the way Thor wields Mjolnir, or Conan his broadword, or The Sword Saint, Miyamoto Musashi, his katana and wakazashi, not with reckless abandon, but with the epitome of skill, grace, power, and intent. These guys strike for the ultimate outcome, which in the case of the music is to deliver the killing blow of pure stoner rock awesomeness. This isn't to say you won't hear elements of other styles as well, but make no mistake, the power and the fury today are stoner fuzz at its finest.
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MAMONT - "PASSING THROUGH THE MASTERY DOOR"

Mamont hail from Nyköping, Sweden, a small town south of Stockholm. Members include:

Karl Adolffson - guitar, vocals
Jonathan Wårdsäter - guitar
VictorWårdsäter - bass
Jimmy Karlsson - drums

"Passing Through the Mastery Door" is their first LP, although they have previously released an excellent self titled EP in 2011. While today we are promoting the latest LP released late in 2012, it is quite interesting to listen to both the 3 track EP and the later 8 track LP. The Mamont musical stamp is present on both, to be sure, in terms of song structure. These guys write beautiful stoner rock music, intelligent, fun, and exciting, all rare qualities when it comes to manufacturing notes, times, rhythms, patterns, etc. But the best part of listening to both the earlier EP and the newer LP is going from the exquisite songs from the 3 track release and discovering exponential growth in the song writing and delivery on the 8 song release. It's quite phenomenal, something of a pleasant surprise, something that generates excitement, appreciation, and admiration. Whatever it was these guys did to come up with the much fuzzier, more distorted, higher energy music laid down in conjunction with superb, stellar melodies on the LP is quite refreshing and deserves a full measure of thanks for anyone who thrives on listening to this rare breed of sound. Yes, we hear a LOT of great music, both old and new, on an almost daily basis, but to hear impeccably intelligent stoner rock is rare and to be treasured.

There is a story in "Passing Through the Mastery Door" according to the band's bio. The journey to discovering that story by listening through it over and over should be quite enjoyable indeed. I can't pretend to have unlocked the tale as of yet, so the best I can do is focus on the rapture of the sound.

"Mammuten" is the starting point where no time is wasted in unleashing the lumbering beast of fuzz upon an audience perhaps brimming with anticipation. Slow and purposeful, the huge low tuned guitar trudges forth soon to be accompanied by the signature stoner riffs reminiscent of much earlier stoner sounds found in Dozer or Truckfigthters. Ever so exquisitely and deliberately the song morphs into a psychedelic melange of distortion and guile before giving way to its successor "Jag Sår Ett Frö", carrying straight through on the fuzz carpet of distortion introduced in the opener. The hazy, psychedelic atmosphere carries forward as well with a haunting vocal that soon unleashes our first exposure to the raspy edged lyric delivery that can only be described as perfectly matching this heavy, deep pile music.

Full dose exposure to the vocals occurs on Track 3, "Creatures", where there may be as many as a half dozen beasts unleashed, if you count the dueling, snarling guitar riffs, undercurrents of richter scale bass, boulder crushing drumwork, and the aforementioned stylings of Mamont's vocal delivery via lead vocalist Karl Adolfsson, as all come together to tell the tale of the evil demons central to the tale.

Between "Blind Man (Part III)" and "Satan's Fasoner" we are treated to stoner rock of exceptional quality, with gargantuan waves of fuzz and cheese grater vocals extraordinaire, none perhaps more exquisite than "The Secret of the Owl" with its barely controlled urgency and  breathless delivery.

This is a rare stoner rock gem that unfortunately slipped through the cracks of my new release tracking system this past September/October. When I go back I see clearly that I had it marked as well above average, meaning in line for quick review. For some reason it got missed until now. But, better now than not at all, and while it may have missed out on end of year 'Best Of' lists, it certainly will get played over and over for years to come as often, if not more, than many of those albums that did make the list.




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ATLANTIC VALLEY - "MAMMOTH"

Atlantic Valley are a Spanish 4 piece stoner rock band hailing from Vigo, Galicia. This is a group of musicians who are just getting warmed up when it comes to producing rock music. They were the winners of a local band contest that spurred them toward recording and releasing their first EP, which, with 6 songs, is of sufficient length to satisfy that deep down craving for meaty, beefy, delicious fuzz. One of the hallmarks of the EP is the lyrics are both in Spanish and English, depending on the song, which does not detract from the slick melodies this new band of four have conjured around their low tuned and wonderfully overdriven delivery.

Band members:

Simón Nicolás - Drums
Angel Pèrez - Bass
Alexandre Alonso - Vocals
Marcus Domato - Guitars, Backing Vocals

Bright and insistent fuzz riffs greet us on the opening track, "Summered Cold Office", with lyrics on the opener in English. The vocals are well suited to the music, never yelling the sound, but singing with a raspy deftness entirely suited to this heavy brand of rock. The tempo is upbeat and energetic for the opening minutes before the song segues into something more deliberate and purposeful for the closing minutes.

"Irreal" opens with a gigantic stoner riff that accompanies the Spanish lyrics and perfectly weighted vocals. Large and low the song is steadfast in its delivery throughout, steady in tempo, and sturdy in the blending of sound.

"Van Scape" kicks the tempo up a couple of notches from its forerunner, laying out heavily distorted licks undercut by immense bass riffs and insistent drum punches. Edgy and distant, the vocals completely complement the music.

"Loia" has an extended, memorable opening, placing much of the onus of the music on adept and agile drumwork, a theme that carries throughout this song of haunting eloquence and brutal delivery.

"Doom Exequo" has elements of stoner punk infused throughout the length of this superb melody. The shackles are dropped for an all out blitzkrieg onslaught from fuzz strings and raspy edged vocals, as well as Olympian drums and mountain devouring bass.

"Titan" brings in a psychedelic element to the band's stoner sound before giving way to their punkish traits once again. These are elements simply used as vehicles for delivery of deep pile fuzz along massive waves of distortion.

This is more than a valiant initial effort from an up and coming stoner rock band, for, despite the unpolished edges, it delivers 6 quality songs heavy in low, overdriven tones, well written melodies, and deftly delivered by gifted and motivated musicians. This album is that rare case where everything works all the time. I am certain you will enjoy this freshman effort immensely and, like me, look forward to their next release and its accompanying growth.





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Nuclear Dog's Atomic Split: The Ultra Electric Mega Galactic - "The Ultra Electric Mega Galactic" / Electric Taurus - "Veneralia"

There is a direct connection between one band from last week's Atomic Split and one band from this week's version, but that direct connection is not necessarily the style of music. Aside from that you will need a spare oxygen tank this week as we trip fast and far through the universe, and while the vehicle is mandatorily psychedelic in nature, whether you use fuel that has a smoky exhaust or whether you simply let the music be your guide, you are likely to be breathless through long quixotic stretches of this quantum quest, quickly quenchable with dispatches of pure oxygen. Enjoy the musical journey folks. It's a trip.
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THE ULTRA ELECTRIC MEGA GALACTIC - "THE ULTRA ELECTRIC MEGA GALACTIC"

This album could be considered as a gift of sorts, a gift to lovers and long time followers of stoner rock, psych rock, retro rock, 70s rock, the kind of rock that matters. UEMG are a supergroup comprised of:

Ed Mundell (Monster Magnet, The Atomic Bitchwax) - guitars
Collyn McCoy (Trash Titan, Otep) - bass
Rick Ferrante (Sasquatch) - drums

There is a lot to glean from those 3 lines. Ed Mundell is as well known in the stoner rock world as a rocker can be, having been a significant, intrinsic part of both Monster Magnet and The Atomic Bitchwax. His ability to play his chosen instrument is phenomenal and breathtaking, to say the least, and his influences on both his former bands was integral to their most musically prolific periods. That is not a coincidence. Collyn McCoy formerly of Otep and currently of Trash Titan (that name sounds incredibly familiar, where have I heard it before?) is a whole lot more than a bass player in a rock band, currently laying down monstrous, phenomenal sounds for 2 functioning bands. Rick Ferrante . . . he's the drummer for Sasquatch - you know, SASQUATCH!, a band of gargantuan sound and ability, driven ferociously from the back by the organic and seamless ease of Rick's rhythmic underpinnings. An obvious omission from those 3 lines, too, is the lack of a vocalist, signifying the instrumental bent of this album, something in my experience that tends to lead to an immense and satisfying listening experience. When the music itself has to grab and keep the interest of the listener most stoner rock musicians tend to muster up some mighty tasty tunes. This album is certainly no exception.

The band's story is familiar. Three musicians who found themselves in each other's company and in need of playing at a time when there were no pressing commitments from elsewhere began a musical journey together, a journey that perhaps started out slowly, cautiously, jamming together, playing in small venues in and around the area in which they live, growing together musically into something they could call their own until one day they found they had created something unique, and phenomenal, and noteworthy. Judging by feedback from the crowds, from the people around them, and from their own keen ears they concluded they really should share it with the world. And so they have. Thank you, gentlemen, for this musical gift.

The best way to hear these songs, of course, would be at a live venue. I have not had that privilege, and quite likely never will. From there the closer you can get to live sounds the better off you'll be, but even if all you can muster is to hear this stuff in mp3 format you will still quite likely be blown away by the intricacies and richness of what UEMG have created. It is certainly the kind of album that grabs you hard the first time through and only gets better with each spin through.

Two interesting tidbits about the album are, first, the opening track in which the introduction is a passage written and spoken specifically for the album by the author Harlan Ellison. Cool. And, second, a guest spot on the opening musical track, track #2, by Ferrante's bandmate from Sasquatch, Keith Gibbs. Again, cool.

"Exploration Team", as mentioned, has Gibbs' distinct guitar riffs melding perfectly with the incredible deliveries of UEMG's regular members. The overall feel for the song is fun and light. It's not really light by any stretch, but the enjoyment these guys express while playing, along with the pleasures as a listener, combines with the tempo for entertainment and wonder. As with each song on this album there are hundreds of pieces, parts, snippets, riffs, licks, fills, rolls, what have you that all blend together to create masterpiece after masterpiece. To a trained and experienced ear there is likely to be a dozen spins through the songs to catch what they have crafted in full. For someone who just knows he's hearing greatness, I look forward to dozens of spins of my own.

"Get Off My World!" has a slower tempo and an impeccable fuzz rate, if you will. I think it's fair to say that Mundell's blistering guitar work is the focal point on this song, but McCoy's bass and Ferrante's drums are still ever present and powerful, nonetheless.

"7000 Years Through Time" is like a huge, beautiful, laserbeam solo from beginning to end, which makes sense given the sole writing credits for it go to Mr. Mundell. Its follow on tune, "The Third Eye" is a crispy, crackling twelve minute romp that allows plenty of time for each member to play to the audience with relish, glee, and not a little bit of ferocity, all held in perfect check and doled out expertly in textures and waves that will leave you gasping in the vacuums left  behind.

"Rockets Aren't Cheap Enough" . . . it's as much fun as you can have with guitars and drums, I'd be willing to bet.

"The Man With a Thousand Names" is a new kind of fun on the album, infused with sitar infusing this trip to the outer reaches with an Eastern flavor.

"Hello to Oblivion" seems at first to not have distinguishing markers as pronounced as its brethren, but going through it more than once reveals some wicked bass riffs and powerful Bonham style drumwork to go with the multi-layered riffs and rills that permeate the richly textured song.

The album closes out with the trippiest leg of the journey with "In The Atmosphere Factory". The strings, as usual, are multi-faceted and diverse, manipulated here for a surreal experience that flows in and around the steady, primal tempo set down by the song's rhythm. It's a carefully chosen and perfectly played closer.

This album, which is more than likely a mere representative sample of what these songs sound like in a live environment, still will get serious consideration for Top Ten/Twenty lists throughout the rock world at year's end, I have no doubt.




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ELECTRIC TAURUS - "VENERALIA"

Dublin Ireland is the home for this three piece stoner/psych band who have crafted an incredible journey of volume and fuzz with their debut EP "Veneralia". Initially formed in 2010 and having gone through some of the typical growing pains of new bands, by the time they had solidified the lineup and had written some superb music they were comprised of the following members:

James Lynch - Bass
Matt Casciani - Guitar, Vocals
Mauro Frison - Drums

The music was good enough for Italian indie record label Moonlight Records to sign the band and put out this excellent EP. With influences coming heavily from the great rock music of the 60s and 70s, both popular and more from an underground origin, as well as the second coming of rock during the 90s with grunge and stoner/desert sounds, Electric Taurus have managed to create their own unique stoner rock sound that has a distinctive psychedelic flair, making for a nice unique trip through the musical cosmos powered by low tuned,  heavy engines, and melodic imagination.

Even though the album is considered an EP, due to its 'meager' 6 tracks, I suppose, it does not skimp on total volume, delivering nearly 50 minutes of quality music.

The opener is "Mountains", a great introduction to the quality on display, with lots of crackling, crunching fuzz, big booming bass, and a melody that is distinctive and memorable. A haunting bridge between the opening minutes of the song and the outro is rich in atmosphere and the vocal stylings of Casciani.

"A New Moon" blasts off with a classic stoner guitar sound comprised of differing riff layers that blend perfectly with strong, dynamic drums to engage the listener immediately into the music. The focal point throughout the song is the music, as opposed to the vocals, which are relegated to a distant yearning call from somewhere deep in the reaches of space. This vehicle of fuzz moves rapidly through space and time on an epic stoner/psych journey.

"Mescalina If At the Edge Of the Earth" is a long playing trippy delight, unfolding cautiously and deliberately until it reaches midpoint where the booster rockets that were heretofore idle kick in with a mighty churn of chaotic rhythm and power, comprised of equal parts guitar riff fuel, liquid drum rolls, and bass tone explosions, as they burn through the final stages of the song with unimaginable power and carefully controlled ignition.

"Two Gods Caput Algol" is more of a throwback to 70s rock reminiscent of early Aerosmith, Cream, or Hendrix. The melody is measured, purposely allowing for the vocals to express power and emotion in tandem with the guitar's mega riffs. The song never relies on one musical idea repeated several times, instead introducing change ups and variances that make it thoroughly intriguing and enjoyable.

"Prelude to the Madness" is another throwback to an earlier sound, but significantly different to the previous track. While it has elements of sounds from forty year old rock it combines that with segments that are slightly reminiscent to grunge era music with a punkish flair. The trippy and far out is never out of the equation, though, making its way in among the feel good rock of the 70s and the torturous glee of the 90s. This eclectic take is, again, quite interesting and entertaining. You never get the feeling anything is done for the sake of it, but instead is cleverly measured and delivered in perfect doses of rock era mashups.

The album closes with "Magic Eye" and an ear for distortion at its low tuned finest accompanied by raw, ragged, redolent riffs of rigor and enthusiasm.





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Nuclear Dog's Atomic Split: The Black Widow's Project - "Heavy Heart" / Half Gramme of Soma - "Half Gramme of Soma"

What's the cliché? Something about strapping yourself in because you are in for the ride of your life? Yeah, that's as good as any. Geneva, Switzerland is where the first set of fuzzbombs are carefully packaged before ignition and blastoff. Athens, Greece is the source for the second set of high octane combustibles. We've often gotten great fireworks from Greece and at least once from Switzerland, so this is no anomaly, but a trend of the most exciting kind, where distortion, talent, volume, passion, and melody are blended into tightly wrapped packages bursting with explosive potential. So, ladies and gentlemen, ye who venture into the realms and domains presented daily by Heavy Planet in order to visit the deviantly deft denizens and their concoctions . . . strap yourselves in and prepare for blast off!

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THE BLACK WIDOW'S PROJECT - "HEAVY HEART"

The Black Widow's Project is a three piece band from Geneva, Switzerland. "Heavy Heart" is their second offering, the first under the current lineup of:

Al Castro - Vocals, Guitar
Raph Legend - Bass
Mathieu Sink - Drums

Formed recently in 2010 the band quickly released their first EP, "Benefit of the Doubt", which garnered a ton of interest due to its huge, intelligent songs. After going through a bass player change with Raph recently joining the group, this small band with the big sound have now released their second collection of original fuzzbombs, but this time in the form of a full length record, crammed to overflowing with 14 stoner/retro rock originals.

The fuzz is huge on this album, as is the creativeness. The songs are well written and well executed, which makes for an incredibly enjoyable experience. Add to it the passion, the obvious and intense exertion in unfolding each creation in perfect time, and you get a special album.

The influences come from decades of great rock music, and influences beyond. You can hear sounds similar to hundreds of songs and rock bands down through the decades, but similarity doesn't mean replication. The song writing here for both music and lyrics is exceptional. The tapestries created are tight, bright, and satisfying. Each song is woven through with a myriad sounds from guitar, bass, drums, and vocals that make for the kind of album you can listen to a hundred times and pick out different and various pieces that go together to make a wholly satisfying whole on each of the fourteen offerings of "Heavy Heart". I don't hear one song sounding much like the next, while the sound for all remain uniquely that of The Black Widow's Project. Play any one song alone and you would know it was their creation. Listen through the whole album and you will be deeply engaged for each of the fourteen due to the uniqueness of each. That is rare and welcome ability, especially when it comes to rock music.

My favorite songs, something easier said than decided upon because I truly love them all, would include the following:

It's hard to beat the opener. It sets the tone most times for the rest of an album and on "Heavy Heart" that's exactly what happens. A lone guitar, distortion tuned to proper fuzz levels, kicks off the song on a brief intro that gives the listener the perfect indication of what's to follow, both for this song and for this album. Once "Ha Ha Ha Uh" kicks in you're in the stratosphere flying fast and high. The tempo is quick, the riffs are plentiful and varied, the bass is energetic and powerful, and the drums do the job of both driving the song's rhythm and adding to it's interest with stick fills and drum riffs that intrigue and satisfy. Alongside the amazing guitar work on this song is the equally amazing vocals. The raspy passion of Castro's belting of the lyrics falls just shy of amazing. He hits the proper tone with this rock and role vocal blast, never yelling as so many vocalists do, and certainly not quite singing in a prim, proper manner, which we would not want. He hits it just right, matching the tone and intensity of the instrumental portions of the song.

"Ain't Gonna Tell You Lies". To start with, who in Geneva, Switzerland says 'ain't'. We certainly do here in Oklahoma. But that's not why I like this song. I like the simple guitar strum opening with Castro singing in normal pitch, revealing that when he's not stretched to the max he still has a beautiful voice. A solo precursor within this song is a bass so low, so huge, it has to have been played by heavy rock moving machinery. The song is steady and simple, and somehow strikes a satisfying chord deep within.

"We Have to Be Free" is a beautiful song, plain and simple. It has a bluesy feel to it throughout as it goes back and forth between calm control, ignition, and fuzzbomb explosions. Moving through the various feels and tempos makes this one of the more intriguing songs on the album. The incredible execution by all three members playing their four instruments simply adds to the maximum pleasure. This is an addicting song that will have you longing for the next time through the album to hear it again.

"Spirits" is a spare, haunting song of incredible beauty that still manages to fuzz out around the edges.

The closer, "Innerwar", is one of the best of the bunch, along with the opener. These guys know how to open, and then how to close. "Innerwar" sounds like something from a concept album, obviously telling a story that's part of a larger whole, while remaining true to the single tale within. The ballad-like feel of the first few minutes of the song leads into a trippy, almost psychotic journey where the instruments lightly touch upon the sounds that play heavily upon your listening psyche, slowing building with textures of new riffs and subdued vocals.

EXCLUSIVE STREAM


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HALF GRAMME OF SOMA - "HALF GRAMME OF SOMA"

There is a HUGE contingent of stoner/retro rock from Greece, much of it from Athens. It's a large city, so why not, but it still seems as though an inordinate amount . . . which is a good thing . . . of underground rock n' roll calls Athens its home. Add to the list this tremendously gifted, rockin' band, Half Gramme of Soma, hereafter referred to as HGoS (almost hogs, almost ghost, defintely rock n' roll).

It's amazing to me when bands come from Europe how much the vocals can sound as if the singer is from down the road somewhere here in the U.S., and HGoS is no exception. I have no idea how much effort they have had to put into their studio performances to accomplish this sound, but it certainly gets my attention. Not nearly as much as their beautiful music screams for notice, though. The starting point for any band associated with the underground sound of stoner/doom/retro rock are the heavy, low tuned, fuzzed out guitars. It's what sets them apart from the no-riff uber-raff on the radio. HGoS is no exception here either. The guitars are pure meth and adrenaline mixed with . . . well, why not mix it with SOMA . . . creating an instantly satisfying warmth throughout your body, charging up your metal receptors, and creating a condition of pure party atmosphere pleasure, whether listening alone in your car, or cranking it up at a booze fueled end of the week celebration, or anything in between.

HGoS band members include:

John V. - Vocals
Alexandros K. - Guitars
Takis A. - Guitars
Nick G. - Bass
Uncle Jim - Drums

HGoS, having formed recently in 2011 and having honed their craft in the various live venues in and around Athens, manages to deliver high quality sound on all parts and pieces of their instrumentation. John V. has a great set of rock pipes, using them to great effect throughout the album. The twin guitar assault of Alex K. and Takis A. are effective, effusive, and effing awesome. Nick G. has somehow strung his bass to the heavy machines used in building tunnels through mountains, and Uncle Jim knows how to impeccably navigate the skins through the heavy maze of riffs from the 3 guitars by using just a pair of wooden sticks. Most of all, the fivesome know how to slap a song together in such a way as to make it memorable, exciting, enticing, and dripping with anticipation, all by mainly making clever and satisfying melodies, songs that not only rock, but bring a sort of fuzzy funk that fits perfectly with the low tuned, distorted bazooka blast emanations of the various string sources. While most stoner/retro bands draw heavily either from the great era of the 70s or the grunge and high desert eras of the 90s, HGoS seem also to have thrown in a sound that hearkens to the new wave sound of the 80s, which makes for a very intriguing metal sound, something that almost feels like they've solved the puzzle that existed on too much 80s so called rock. . . adding the big, fuzzy sound of stoner rock guitar.

This self titled album is their first foray into studio production and contains 9 melodic creations layered thickly with fuzzy metal shavings, crafted in such a way as to be most enjoyable when the amperage is set to ultra high levels and you have room enough to violently move about the room.

"Burn Your Shadows" opens with a funky guitar ditty that leads into the opening hooks and riffs that are slightly reminiscent of the B-52s or The Cure, except with a much heavier, beefier sound, especially when the instrumentation is isolated for several incredible minutes.

"Feed Your Hell" opens in a measured pace that leads into a more up-tempo refrain. John V.'s vocals lend a ballad like quality to the song as the twin guitars provide both a heavy undercurrent of deep, dark riffs plus a more penetrating and insistent interlude. The music here is telling a story, one that isn't all light and sunshine, but replete with dank, musty revelations.

"Secret of the Fox" is a partner piece to its predecessor above. It's steady, unyielding tempo is full of various textures of twisted metal licks and fills riding on an undercurrent of heavy bass, and narrated with melancholy, haunting vocals.

After several songs of deep, dark melancholia comes a song that is a masterpiece of tempo, melody, and listening enjoyment in "Dead End". I am not a master of culling out the lyrics to a song, so while the title would seem to convey failure in the journey of whomever is travelling through these songs, the atmosphere of the music seems to convey the opposite. A quicker pace, insistent and deadly drumwork, and metal rending guitar riffs accompany dual vocals on this song, providing the listener with an intriguing melody infused with heavy textures and bigger than life substance.

Immediately following is an incredibly haunting piece, "Wings Rusted Away", that allows for instrumental isolation to an extent, allowing the listener to go one on one with the huge guitars and whipcord drums. Vocals are magnified as well, as the melancholy of the tune intensely permeates throughout your body, taking over, inducing a trance-like state akin to a natural endorphin rush.

Melancholia and haunting melodies close out the album with "Under a Malign Star", where HGoS make sure to go out with a universe deafening explosion of metal distortion and amplification.

 


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Nuclear Dog's Atomic Split: Mammoth Mammoth - "Hell's Likely" / The Shooters - "Planet of the Black Sun"

From Melbourne, Australia you can find rock so big, so huge, so full of riffs and fuzz that one woolly mammoth is not enough of a comparison, so the band was named for two. There's a lot to love when you have two huge extinct creatures wielding modern nuclear weaponry in the guise of electrified musical instruments. And then, from the southwest of Spain can be found a prime example of pure rock, big, simple, and unadulterated in delivery and execution, but most importantly in enjoyment. Strap on your cuirass because we are about to do battle with the forces of heavy metal deficiency where we will certainly cure their asses with the ammunition loaded, locked, and on tap, ready to fire today.

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MAMMOTH MAMMOTH - "HELL'S LIKELY"

Band members:

Ben Couzens - Guitar
Mikey Tucker - Vocals
Frank Trobiani - Drums
Pete Bell - Bass

As stated, this foursome hails from Melbourne and have garnered a huge reputation as a live band. From all accounts these guys put everything they have into every show, leaving it all on the stage, while simultaneously leaving the audiences satisfied to their 'amped to the max' core. Not only are Mammoth Mammoth experienced in playing to audiences, "Hell's Likely" is their third studio release, beginning with a self titled EP in 2008, "Mammoth" in 2009 that included covers of Kyuss' "Green Machine" and Ted Nugent's "Stranglehold", which put Mammoth Mammoth's irrevocable mega-fuzz stamp on those two varied but familiar and loved rock standards, and now "Hell's Likely", eight original ass kickers, straight out of some Australian explosives factory where someone threw a lit butt on the ground, large explosives expanded rapidly, and Mammoth Mammoth had an album of incredible explosiveness.

The music these guys put forth is heavy and fun, heavily reminiscent of rock of the 70s and 80s, while interspersed with sounds from the fledgling underground sounds of the era that gave birth to stoner rock, the 90s. They never mimic the sound of any of their influences, but at the same time do not shy away from what they like to use when laying waste to the earth with their low tuned, high energy music.

The title track is the opener and sets the perfect tone for what's to follow. It's fast paced and laden with energetic drumwork displaying timbre and skill that only the most adept and demoniac of guitars could follow.

The fuzz is unfurled for track 2, "Go", where, again, athletic guitar work unleashes monstrous riffs, huge fills of distortion and low tuned wonderment. I love the solo on this song, unfolding in a steady and intriguing manner that takes it time and entertains mightily because of it, as opposed to just dropping a few quick, loud licks like the majority of rock songs are wont to do.

My favorite track on the album is the fourth song down, "(Up All Night) Demons to Fight", the name alone bringing an anticipatory smile. The tempo here is deliberate and forceful, quickly igniting those primal urges deep within my metal soul. This is the kind of song you go to battle with. It delivers blow after blow, riff, lick, and fill wrapped in fuzz and distortion, and punctuated with the heavy bass rhythm of Bell's relentless playing, at the same time packaged neatly with Tucker's 'fuck you, kick ass' vocals.

One of the hallmarks of Mammoth Mammoth's songs is the length they play. There's no long drawn out psych journeys here, but at the same time they don't typically get in and get out in 3 minutes or less, either. 5 plus minutes is the standard, which is a great time for fuzz filled wonderment such as the deliverance of these 8 songs.

The final track, purportedly available only on the vinyl version of the album, is "Dead Sea", a deliberate show of strength and power, that comes across as an intelligent fuzz bomb, setting off explosions at exactly the right time and in exactly the right place throughout this demonstrative show of force.

Mammoth Mammoth have delivered a gargantuan, monstrous, prodigious, leviathanic collection of stoner fuzz bombs that boil the blood at just the right temperature on "Hell's Likely". If you are new to their music use this as a jumping off point and then go backward in time to collect the remainder of their awesome collection, worthy additions to any stoner metal anthology.

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THE SHOOTERS - "PLANET OF THE BLACK SUN"

Jerez de la Frontera, Andalusia, Spain is where we go for our next cargo load of fuzz and distortion. South  of Sevilla and west of Malaga ( I wonder which team these guys root for), Jerez appears to be an idyllic town in the southwest of the country, with beautiful architecture and gorgeous scenery, it looks to be the type of place that would be hard pressed to produce a foursome able to conjure the type of energy and power to move massive boulders with the strum of a chord, the pluck of a bass string, or the strike of stick on skin, but  that's exactly what The Shooters do - create massive amounts of beautiful, monstrous sound melodicly formed into a treasure trove of stoner rock jewels.

Spanish may be what The Shooters speak, what they write, what they use to fill their Twitter and Facebook pages, but good old American is the language used on the vocals of this gigantic band of uncanny caliber and faculty. The language used by guitar is retro rock, stoner metal, good old fuzz and distortion, a language understood by millions and craved by the same.Those cravings can be assuaged with the release of "Planet of the Black Sun".

Band Members are Alex, Carlos, Danishoot, and Marcos.

Although it's not quite clear who plays what for The Shooters, in the end it doesn't matter, nor does it even matter in the beginning. We have access to their new release and all we need do is plug it in and play. Enjoyment ensues. Like their Atomic Split predecessor, The Shooters lay down ample time on their tracks to allow for full engagement, and deep enjoyment, igniting all music receptors and linking to all primal metal music urges.

"Planet of the Black Sun" kicks off with "Against the Storm", a stoner rock gem, for no other definition can suffice. The vocals are incredible on this, and every song. The guitars continually crank out distorted pleasure, while the drums surface in perfect time to the ever churning riffs, providing intrigue and conciliation. The closing section of the song lays down an intriguing display of melodic adeptness and enjoyment.

Track 2, "Satellite", does not back down from the high bar set on the first song, kicking up the tempo a notch, while simultaneously kicking up the fuzz a notch as well. How? Hell, I don't know, but it does. The song is crammed to the gills with riffs, licks, and fills during the main course. The bridge bares it down to brass tacks, though, singling out nifty single riffs and drum fills before exploding back into the main groove of the song.

"Fuel Eater" quite simply jams for 5 minutes. Not in a hurry, digging deep grooves at a mud slinging pace, it takes over your brain for a nice trip through distortion and doom, over before you realize you ever left, because the trip was pure hypnosis of low tuned wonderment.

"Fate" kicks up the tempo and the melody a bit, utilizing a full, rich tone to the low tuned guitars, undercurrented by massively heavy bass and topped with the ever present rhythm of wood on skin. There is an in and out flow to the song that mesmerizes with a tribal quality hypnotic in nature and delivery.

The Shooters are superb songwriters, definitely stamping their sound and style on each song, but never totally recreating what's already been conjured, either by them or anyone else. The changes are perhaps slight, subtle, and modest, just enough to pique interest and satisfy familiarity.

These guys work their magic on the music they play, crafting quality songs, and playing with skill and enthusiasm. This album is 9 songs of sheer stoner joy, fierce in delivery, heavy in tone, and deep in satisfaction.

On their bandcamp page you will have access to all their music, worthy of the free downloads, and inclusion into your stoner rock collection.





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