Album Of The Week-"Bangers"-Barn Burner (2010)

I have not been able to stop listening to the new album "Bangers" by Barn Burner since it came out last Tuesday. Therefore, I am making it the "Album Of The Week".

Reviews:

"While they bring the '70s to mind like Astra, Barn Burner does it in a very different way. Rather than bringing smooth progressive rock to mind with its atmospheric excess, Barn Burner brings us straight-up rock and roll with a southern twist. The music sounds as if it has been soaked in a bottle of Tennessee whiskey that was then smashed across a vintage Marshall stack with a mid-1960s Gibson SG or Les Paul connected through a fuzz box. The sort of music that will play well at a smoke-filled bar where the beer and the Jack flow freely. This is groove-based rock with memorable riffs, moderately paced turns that you can sit back and rock your head to without spilling your drink. Touches of Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Allman Brothers, a little bit of Black Sabbath, a liberal sprinkle of Thin Lizzy, a side dish of Iron Maiden, perhaps a smidgen of punk, and a dash of Corrosion of Conformity for a more recent frame of reference and you get an idea of what Barn Burner is like." (Chris Beaumont, StonerRock.com)

"Montreal, Canada-based 4-headed riff machine Barn Burner don’t believe in beating around the bush. Album opener ‘Holy Smokes’ comes roaring out of the gate with a direct aggressiveness that lays out the band’s stall in no uncertain terms – no atmospheric intro, no acoustic lead-in, hell, there’s not even a hi-hat four count – from the second you press play, you’re blasted by guitars, bass and drums in full hell-for-burnished-leather mode. Self-described as “the 3 headed love child of Iron Maiden, Thin Lizzy and Fu Manchu“...(Read more)



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Album Of The Week-"Dusk"-Las Cruces (2009)

I've been on a bit of a Doom kick as of late and one of my favorite doom bands just recently released their new CD "Dusk" on Brainticket Records. The band that I am talking about is Las Cruces. Check out some favorable reviews below. Fans of bands such as Trouble, Solitude Aeturnus, St. Vitus, Iron Man, etc. will not be disappointed.

Reviews:

Doommantia

"The new album by Las Cruces has a long and complicated story behind it, for starters it has been a incredible long wait for this album, its been 12 years since they released their last album, the classic "Ringmaster". On top of that, this recording for this album was finished over 2 years ago, the singer on the album also left the band around the same time. "Dusk" also includes 3 tracks from a EP recorded 9 years ago so what you get here is a real mixed bag of a album. Las Cruces has always been one of the most under-appreciated bands in the scene however so its great that the album is finally here. So how does this album compare with the excellent "Ringmaster" album of 12 years ago. The first thing that becomes clear is the overall sound is very different, gone is the clear big production of "Ringmaster". This album has a muddy guitar sound but it is still real heavy but the guitar sounds buried in the mix at times. This is a disappointment at first but that feeling doesn't last long as this is still a cool, strong album of mostly mid-tempo doom tunes. First track up is "Wizard" and its a great track that switches back and forth between lumbering doom parts and mid tempo headbanging sections. The musicianship has made a noticeable improvement even though they were great muso's before but now the riffing seems to be more precise than ever before. The rhythm section of the band is what stands out in the mix while the guitar work sits more in the background of the bands sound. The bass is particularly thunderous on the album along with the drums. Next track up is "Revelations" which is another mid-tempo old school doom rocker, once again the buried guitar work is a bit of a let-down but all is forgiven when you hear the shredding solos that fly out of the speakers. Mixed way louder and up-front than anything else, they slice off your head with some real energetic muster. Its all about groove and this album is not lacking in that department at all, every track has doom laden groove stamped all over it and "Revelations" is one of the highlights..." (Read more)

HellrideMusic.com

"The new album by Las Cruces has an unusual set of circumstances surrounding its delivery: twelve years since the last album, two and a half years after recording was finished, nearly two years after the vocalist on it moved on and containing all three tracks from a nine year old EP. A complicated and overdue birth it has been for Dusk, a birth in the still long shadow of its elder sibling and attended by the expectations raised by a ripping set at Templars of Doom II. So what exactly has coming kicking and squalling into the world of doom…a beast?..a problem child? …an extension of the legacy?...a changeling?...all of the above really…


“Wizard” comes thundering out of the speakers and revelations battle for attention and focus. Gone is the ultra powerful and shiny production that graced Ringmaster and one can’t help but miss it, especially when the guitar onslaught falls back in the mix. At the same time you can hear strides forward in wickedness and riff mastery, and a dirt and grit not present to this extent in the past. The song alternates between a lumbering lead heavy doom sections, where it threatens at time to become heavier than anything that they have done before and at other times steps on the gas in a head-banging frenzy. The rhythm section is up front in the mix, with the bass truly thundering and the drums “right there” clear down to the cymbal nuances, but carrying an almost dusty, organic feel. Over it all the forceful exultations of Mark Zamarron carry the first of a slew of dark tales. As always, his vocal power is astounding and it is quite difficult, after listening to this album, to comprehend the size of the shoes that drummer Paul Deleon has to fill by now taking on vocal duties..." (Read more)


Track Listing:

01. Wizard
02. Revelations
03. Cocaine Wizard Woman
04. Burning Bright
05. Wings of Gold
06. Banished
07. Dusk
08. Farewell
09. The Level
10. Roll of the Die
11. Killing Fields
12. Grin



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Album Of The Week-"Of Sound Mind"-Ancestors (2009)

I noticed that a few of you had this album in your top 10 for 2009, and quite frankly do not know for the life of me how I let this one slip past my ears. If you are into the psychedelic side of Stoner Rock, then this album is one you should definitely check out. I may just have to update my Top 10 of 2009. Therefore, I am making "Of Sound Mind" by Ancestors my Album Of The Week.

Review:

"Ancestors' masterful debut, "Neptune with Fire", was apparently nothing more than a demo. The band wanted to re-record it, but Tee Pee Records insisted it was fine as it was. The label was right - Neptune with Fire was lightning in a bottle and I'm of the opinion that trying to recreate it could've been a fool's errand. All the same, that revelation further piqued my interest in their sophomore album, Of Sound Mind. What would this California-based five piece do with the luxury of studio time?

Production-wise, there actually isn't that much of a difference - a touch more clarity overall, and the vocals are occasionally pushed further up in the mix (too far at times, but since the band's usually skyrocketing off on some inspired instrumental trip, it's a minor quibble). Music-wise, it's also more of the same, but seeing how “the same” in this case is a mish-mash of Kyuss by way of King Crimson by way of Sleep by way of Pink Floyd by way of Neurosis by way of Hawkwind, you can't say they're not pushing themselves.

And with the eight song Of Sound Mind (of which four stretch past the ten minute mark), Ancestors continues to defy any attempt at pigeonholing. They effortlessly move from one genre to the next with such grace that it's a seamless transition. Obviously, the longer cuts - “Mother Animal, “The Bounty of Age,” “The Trial,” and “The Ambrose Law” - in particular offer ample evidence of the band's musical dexterity (the shorter numbers serve mostly as vignettes between songs, although “Challenging” seems to be a longer, more fleshed out version of “Not the Last Return”). There's an instinctive sense of knowing when and how to turn a doom riff into a rock one and let it stretch out before bringing it back to its original form.

I'm not sure I could pick any one song as the highlight, as each has something unique to offer (okay, maybe not so much with “From Nothing”). I will say that “Bounty of Age” is a testament to the band's guitar playing, that Black Math Horsemen's Sera Timms adds some captivating vocals to “The Trial,” and that while “The Ambrose Law” is the most conventional of the four epics, it's straightforward approach serves as the perfect end to an album that's as emotionally complex as it is musically. Ancestors was off to a fine start with Neptune with Fire and on Of Sound Mind, they've taught the old dog of progressive stoner rock enough tricks to grant it a permanent spot in Cirque du Soleil. Recommended." (John Pegoraro, StonerRock.com)

Track Listing:

01.From Nothing
02.Mother Animal
03.Not the Last Return
04.Bounty of Age
05.A Friend
06.The Trial
07.Challenging
08.The Ambrose Law

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Album Of The Week-"Sonoluminescence"-Luder (2009)

The Album Of The Week this week is "Sonoluminescence" by Small Stone recording artists Luder.

Bio:

The formation of Luder harkens back to 2006, when Small Stone Records undertook the task of issuing the lost recordings of a band called Slot after the untimely passing of its founding member and guitarist, Billy Rivkin. After the successful completion of this project, it was decided by the powers that be that some semblance of the band should play at SXSW the following spring. So it was that Sue Lott (Slot's bassist) and Eddie Alterman (Slot's drummer) were joined on guitars by Phil Dürr (Big Chief, Giant Brain, Five Horse Johnson) and Small Stone head-honcho Scott Hamilton to pull off such a thing. The thinking was that it would take two guitar players to competently do what Billy did on his own. (read more...)

Reviews:

"90's indie rock casualty Slot had a brief career resurgence when Small Stone released their The Sweet Black Bear a couple of years ago. Problem is, it's hard to capitalize on an album when there's no band to back it up, so surviving members Sue Lott (bass, vocals) and Eddie Alterman (drums) – guitarist Billy Rivkin's death was the unfortunate impetus for The Sweet Black Bear's release – teamed up with Big Chief/Five Horse Johnson guitarist Phil Durr and Small Stone's Scott Hamilton (guitar, presumably check writing) for a South by Southwest gig.


Apparently things went well enough to breathe new life into the band. But rather than carrying on under the same name, they opted to rechristen themselves Luder, in deference to the departed (take that, Alice in Chains!). It's a smart move, and not just because Alterman left shortly thereafter (drums are now courtesy of Novadriver's Eric Miller). Even though the two share the same sonic head space, Luder is still distinct enough to be its own entity.

Basically, Sonoluminescence's ten tracks take Slot's ethereal drug-rock and dirties it up. If Slot leaned more towards dreamy, pop-like melodies, Luder nudges them closer to the hesher crowd. We're not talking High on Fire territory, but nevertheless Sonoluminescence has more drive, more immediacy to it. That's most apparent in the likes of opener “Sing to Me,” “S-Words,” “Selfish and Dumb,” and “Sewn Together,” but even the more lower key numbers - “Hot, Girl-on-Girl, Vampire Action,” “The Pox,” and “Soledad y Onanismo” - chug along with consistency. In spite of that, the songs are smartly put together. Given the various ways the members approach rock music (alt, blues, stoner, fussy label head, etc), it's not surprising that Luder never really takes the easy or obvious route.

A couple of songs get a little too precocious - “In Love with Love” in particular – but overall I liked Sonoluminescence more than The Sweet Black Bear. If Slot was geared more towards the indie scene of the mid to late 90s, Luder strikes me as being as agreeable to fans of Acid King as it would be to fans of Concrete Blonde. " (John Pegoraro, StonerRock.com)

More reviews

Track Listing:

01. Sing to Me
02. S-Words
03. Selfish and Dumb
04. Cold Hands, Warm Pants
05. Hot, Girl-on-Girl, Vampire Action
06. In Love with Love
07. The Pox
08. Points West
09. Sewn Together
10. Soledad y Onanismo

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Album Of The Week-"The Indian Tower"-Pearls and Brass (2006)

I decided to go back a few years for this one. If you have never heard Pearls and Brass before then you have really been missing out. Pearls and Brass concoct a brilliant blend of soulful, blues-inspired classic rock, along with math-rock complexity and crushing riffs. That is why I am making their sophomore album "Indian Tower" the "Album Of The Week". You got to check this one out!

Review:

"Following up their stoner rock self-titled debut on the Doppelganger label, Nazareth, PA-based Pearls and Brass are true sons of heavy, zoned-out sludge rock. Their Drag City debut, Indian Tower, is all fire, crunch, and burn. Their arrangements are a little busy, full of semi-intricate twists and turns on the title track, but the groove is solid, hard, and fluid. The band's willingness to engage more spaced-out fare, such as chanted backing vocals and minor-to-major key shifts, is appealing. "Face of God" and "Black Rock Man" are perhaps what Cream might have sounded like had they followed Jack Bruce down into the heavy rock rabbit hole. Randy Huth's guitar playing is spectacular without being overly flashy. His and Joel Winter's vocals carry a kind of ghostly weight against the thudding crunch of the music. Josh Martin's drum kit is sheer hammer power — slow, deliberate, and yet utterly inventive. These cats also actually write songs, not riffs. Check "Beneath the Earth," with its knotty winding structure. Indian Tower is a deeply satisfying hard rock record and stands apart form the longhaired greasy masses who sacrifice songwriting for power chords. Highly recommended." (Thom Jurek, All Music Guide)

Track Listing:

01. The Tower
02. No Stone
03. The Face of God
04. Black Rock Man
05. The Mirror
06. I Learn the Hard Way
07. Pray for Sound
08. The Boy of the Willow Tree
09. Wake in the Morning
10. Beneath the Earth
11. Away the Mirrors



Unfortunately, the band is on hiatus and do not currently have a MySpace page. Just sit back and enjoy the music they left us. Here is actually a link that you can listen to their self-titled debut album.

Rhapsody

Album Of The Week-"Heavily Ever After"-Devil To Pay (2009)

The "Album Of The Week" this week is "Heavily Ever After" by Devil To Pay.

Reviews:

"It'd be cool to say that with their third album, Indianapolis' Devil to Pay will finally hit the big time, but I have the sinking feeling that this four-piece will still be relegated to “local legend”/”should be bigger” status. Such is life in the trenches of underground riff rock. I'm sure the band's well aware of its destiny.

Still, it's not for a lack of trying. Sure, the band doesn't help maintain momentum by taking its time between recordings – three years have passed since Cash Is King and six since debut Thirty Pieces of Silver – and chewing through guitarists (new guy Rob Hough is their fourth) can't be good either, but as far as songs go, Devil to Pay has always not only consistently delivered, but they've also gotten better with each release. They may have started off as a more traditional stoner rock band, but they've grown into their own sound, finding the common ground between classic rock, classic doom, and classic metal.

That's a whole heapin' of classic, and it's reflected best in songs like “Distemper,” “When All Is Said and Done,” “Troglodyte Jive,” “Snake Charmer,” and “Zealots.” With frontman Steve Janiak's John Garcia-like howl and his and Hough's combined guitars supported by a rhythmic wall-of-sound from bassist Matt Stokes and drummer Chad Prifogle, these tracks (and to a slightly lesser extent, the other eight) show the band has a knack for heavy grooves that reverberate for days. I'd go on, but coming up with flowery ways of saying, "This is kick ass" goes against the band's straightforward approach. Ergo, understand that this kicks a serious amount of ass.

Sure, they could've trimmed Heavily After After down to a more economical ten numbers, but I wouldn't want to be the one choosing which song to cut (even the lesser “Mancuerda” is saved by clever, nonsensical lyrics like “swim through the mayonnaise”). At any rate, Heavily Ever After proves that these local legends should be bigger. Recommended." (John Pegoraro, StonerRock.com)

"Hold on tight to something, the tornadic Indianapolis, Indiana quartet Devil To Pay is back. After almost 3 years without a new batch of ear munchies. The new album "Heavily Ever After" is twisted fable of riffs that would make Iommi paranoid and Nugent want some poontang.

Life hasn't been a fairy tale for Devil To Pay's front man Steve Janiak, a few years ago it was almost cut short by a blood clot that formed after intestinal surgery, maybe this is how he gets the "Cobain on ludes" tone to his singing voice, and the apathetic yet inspiring lyrics, as though there is some inner demon just bubbling under the surface. These cats must play guitars dipped in syrup to get that muddy tone.

The tale: Heavily Ever After kicks off with the galloping rocker, "Distemper" which really shows off Chad Prifogle's wizardry behind the kit. He's really improved his chops on this one. The third track "Megistotherium" is another topic that has come up in previous D2P albums, Dinosaurs. The Megistotherium was a dinosaur that lived some 24 million years ago, is one of the largest terrestrial carnivorous mammals that ever existed, and has huge scissor-like teeth, able to rip apart huge prey. That should give you a good visualization of this heaving elephant of a song. The instrumental track Grimoires has an early 80's underground metal stomp to it, which makes me think, "Am I Evil?", merging perfectly into the head banging riff of "Thinning The Herd". The post-Apocalyptic groove of "Dead Wrong" might be my favorite track, although it's really hard to pick a favorite. These guys have the "it" factor, whatever the "it" factor is. I think it's different for everyone, to me its soul, being able to feel something. Art takes various forms. Sometimes it's a kick in the ass...

Production wise it's perfect, you're able to distinguish between every instrument at wall rattling volume, unlike a lot of releases lately where everyone is trying to be louder than everyone else and things get buried in the mix. This one will go down in my black book as one of the greats of 2009. Definitely play this loud and if you're close enough, see them live for the true effect, if you're not close check out their live DVD "48 Minutes". And always remember... no matter how bad life gets, we all live Heavily Ever After..." (Adam Walsh, Planetfuzz.net)

Track Listing:

01. Distemper
02. When All is Said and Done
03. Megistotherium
04. Morningstar
05. High Horse
06. Troglodyte Jive
07. Grimoires
08. Thinning the Herd
09. Mancuerda
10. Snake Charmer
11. Goat Leaves
12. Dead Wrong
13. Zealots

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Official Website

Album Of The Week-"Stonerized"-Ponamero Sundown (2009)

Hell yeah!! Ponamero Sundown lays down some very tasty, fuzzed out Stoner Rock grooves proving that this genre is still alive and very well, thus making "Stonerized" by Ponamero Sundown the "Album Of The Week".



Reviews:

"Perfectly righteous heavy stoner rock from Stockholm Sweden. Simple basic cut straight to the chase stoner rock, heavy groove, bag loads of big riffs, all the fuzz you need. Nothing radically different, nothing you haven’t heard before, we could namedrop all the usual bands needed when reviewing this kind of stuff – Sabbath, Kyuss, Orange Goblin... Nothing clever needs to be said here, this is simply honest no messing righteous heavy rock that just hits all the right spots in all the right ways – in your blood, in your soul... This rocks, they rock, we like rock. Thick fuzzy in the vital zone no messing heavy fuggin rock!" (Organ Magazine)

"Ponamero sundown from Stockholm, Sweden offers a superior stoner rock dinner for two, a spicy and flammable taste in twelve acts that makes almost everything else feel tasteless. These titans are using only premium raw materials which makes this disc to a giant that easily places on my top ten list this year.

With four demos in luggage Ponamero sundown finally releases their debut album 'Stonerized' on the Swedish label Transubstans records. I got totally carried away, or should i say STONERIZED by this piece of jewelry when it started to spin, ok I wasn't that surprised by what I heard because Ponamero sundown's previous works have been splendid so far and the debut only make the band grow even stronger. These Swedes have much to offer and mixes the best of the 70's hard rock with modern fuzz rock in a mature and professional manner which I love. The ponamero's simply whips the shit out of most bands today!

First track out is 'Alcoholic deathride', a glowing projectile which drills into bone and marrow. This is crazy good, an excellent show-off how heavy rock should be done in the most spectacular way. Like a giant rock hammer 'Alcoholic deathride' slays everything in its path, lots of heaviness with heaps of groovy riffs and catchy vocals. I keep banging my head against the desk and I feel like a true rock hero, every second on this 'deathride' makes me shiver all over... yes sir! These guys can surely boogie!

Ponamero sundown rumbles on with 'Curtain call', not as fast as the previous but damn so good, heavy and melodic with a hard-hitting chorus which makes me fall off my chair in delight; this is definitely one of the outstanding songs on the album. These four pistoleros are unstoppable and are moving fast like a lawn-mower on dope. The list goes on and on and the hit songs whit densely on 'Stonerized' and almost nothing threatens these swedes from reaching the rock throne. Tracks like Reborn, Live the lie and Hell sent makes me run amuck through my flat and Ponamero sundown keeps reminding me that there might be a god after all.


The final track 'Double you' is absolutely one of the strongest songs and along with tracks like Alcoholic deathride, Curtain call and Hell sent is more than enough to make grandma's pacemaker to hit a few extra heartbeats. 'Double you' makes me think of bands like space probe taurus, Greenleaf and in some way The mushroom river band and will be played over and over again until my neighbors call the cops!... in fact the whole album will terrorize my neighborhood for the next few weeks.

Stonerized is a hellride in 300 dodge without inhibitions from start to finish line and Ponamero sundown clearly shows that speed limits are there to be broken. Track after track is being grazed off quite brilliantly and the band shows that they are to be reckoned with. This band have been waiting far too long in the'demoland' for the breakthrough and Transubstans made the right choice by releasing these songs, the guys in Ponamero sundown really deserves it.

There are no excuses and the god's will punish you if you're not buying this record!!!" (Planetfuzz)

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Track Listing:

01. Alcoholic Deathride
02. Curtain Call
03. Reborn
04. Rotten Religion
05. Live the Lie
06. Intermission (Heartbreak Disease)
07. Hell Sent
08. The Race
09. Made of Stone
10. Doctor of Evil
11. Double You
12. Stonerized

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