New Band To Burn One To: The Cosmic Nod

Heavy instrumental psychedelic stoner jams are at the top of our food chain for today’s New Band To Burn One To with Cardiff, Wales’, The Cosmic Nod, pummelling the very fabric of your existence with 30 minutes of Earthless inspired jamming to really makes you question your reality.

Featuring two members of The Witches Drum (Owen Griffiths and Mat Warren), the band have just released a two-track self-titled EP featuring the 15 minute ‘Black Rubber’ and the 13 minute ‘Old Hemp’, both ripping psychedelic jams drifting in between spaced out acid tripping wails, and heavy fuzz-like riffing that pounds your skull into a gnarly blend of stoner rock and psychosis induced head bangs. These guys (including Luke Llewellyn, Tom Rees, Grant Jones) wear their influences on their sleeves, but it’s a sound done with passion and skill that not many others can successfully pull off, Thankfully though, The Cosmic Nod have found the perfect balance to make a sound that really hits that psychedelic jamming hole in your soul you’ve been crying out for.

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Interview and Exclusive Video Premiere - The Witches Drum

With the imminent release of The Witches Drum's second full length, titled "Adjust Your Receiver", I caught up with bass player Owen Griffiths to chew the fat about their past, present and future, but what begins with some sad news ends with a very exciting announcement for the band and their fans. We at Heavy Planet can count ourselves amongst those fans with several of us giving them the props they so rightfully deserve, so it is with a mixture of sadness and gladness that we offer you this interview and an exclusive debut of their video for the song "(Sing Your Confessions To The) Voodoo Court" taken from their forthcoming album.

It's been a while since The Witches Drum's debut "Future King's Of An Empty Throne" was released. Can you tell us what's been going on with the band since then?

"I guess the main thing is we had a change of guitarist not long after the debut came out. Mat Warren came in - he had one practice then we supported Karma to Burn - trial by fire! After he bedded in on the songs we took time off gigging and wrote the album, then decided to buy some studio gear and Mat's recorded it at his house. That was last summer, we're just finished with it. Unfortunately during this time we've decided that the band has reached the end if it's life, so we're doing some farewell gigs and getting the record out, then that'll be that it seems."  

It is a real shame that you all decided to call it a day for The Witches Drum, especially now that you guys have made a lasting impression on the UK heavy music scene, but can you take us back to the beginning, how you all got together and what your collective intention was for the band at the time?

"It all started because of a small club called Tafod in Cardiff - the owner didn't really care about it, it just came with the hotel above, so I blagged the manager's job and started booking bands and club nights - everything from doom metal to drum n bass to folk gigs. Through that I met our original drummer Leo, and Joel (who was working the bar). At the start it was just the three of us, jamming out some noisy psychedelic stuff. Then Fry came on board, then Mike on guitar and it started to get a little more structured, I guess because we realized we had a great vocalist and the ability to write a song."

Since the incarnation of The Witches Drum there have been some unforgettable performances from you guys which no doubt secured yourselves support slots for Karma to Burn and Honky, which is no mean feat. The most legendary performances from The Drum have been at the free 'generator' parties you were involved in. Can you tell us about those, how they came about and the idea/intention behind them? I've heard the words "Welsh Kyuss" spoken with regards to The Witches Drum's DIY ethic and appearances at free outdoor/warehouse/wherever parties. 

"Really? "Welsh wreck heads" is probably spoken more often! The DIY ethic was there from the start I think - Fry's been involved in the free party scene for ages, and Joel used to run a squat and play in punk bands, plus with my experience with putting on gigs in Tafod we were never going to be a passive, begging for support slots kinda band. We'd get hold of a PA and play cafe's, warehouses, little bars. Then when summer came, and the techno/trance free parties would go off in the forests and mountains we'd drag our gear up and join in - The Witches Drum followed by 12 hours of acid techno. I think the last one we did was the best - Fry persuaded Spider Kitten, Death of her Money and a bunch of other bands to come play in a muddy field, with the biggest rig I've ever seen. In mushroom season! Total carnage. I think the police turned up at that one. They're obviously more effort and hassle than your average gig, but when you're released from the confines of curfews, door men, smoking bans, buying over priced beer etc etc you can cut loose and not worry about a thing."  

"Welsh wreck heads." Hahaha..That's very true, I can vouch for that.
I think some of the appeal for your fans is the DIY/punk rock ethic you guys have that is born from a tradition and a culture that never really went away since it began here. There is a rich history of free festivals in the UK going back to the late 60's and then throughout the 70's and up to the mid 80's before acid house/rave music came to the fore and dominated the free party scene. There are many great legends of shroom festivals in Wales with some great psychedelic rock bands turning up to play impromptu sets. Hawkwind were well known for this of course. Would you say they were an influence as I can hear a little of Hawkwind's touch on your first album? What other bands would you say The Witches Drum draw inspiration from?

"Yeah definitely influenced by Hawkwind - especially the first few albums. Individually, and as a band we have a pretty broad range of influences - there's the obvious stuff- The Stooges, Sabbath, Zeppelin, Kyuss, Monster Magnet, Clutch etc, but then I've been listening to Bill Withers all day, and I know the others love funk, jazz, blues, dub, folk, rockabilly, techno, punk and on and on. The bands that came out of Wales around the mid to late 90's made a big impact on us - like Acrimony, Taint and Suns of Thunder.  Also I love bands that created their own weird little world around them, and aren't afraid to go a bit over the top with their live show - like Jane's Addiction or The MC5."

The Witches Drum's live shows have become almost legendarily debauched affairs, especially with Matt Fry's crazy stage antics; wearing his bright yellow marigolds and covered in glitter and face paint; it's like a dazzling and slightly dangerous freak show with great music. Are there any live shows you guys have done that particularly stick in your mind as the most whacked out and weird, worryingly dangerous or just plain wild?

"I think the one that sticks out most was in a warehouse in Cardiff about 3 years ago - it was my birthday so we were pretty loose by the time we hit the stage. Fry ended up brawling in the crowd, Joel was on top of a metal joist above the stage, probably not the tightest set we've ever played! There was the one where Joel threw his amp across the stage then jumped on Fry, rolled around on the floor in some glass and put him in A&E- that was the night before we recorded the first record. There's probably loads of stupid shit we did in the early days, but we'll sound like a right bunch of twats if I carry on!"

  
You said at the beginning of this interview that The Witches Drum will be no more after the release of the second album and with a few final gigs in the pipeline you guys are going out in a blaze of glory it seems. But is that totally it for The Witches Drum? I know several of you have various other projects on the go so can you tell us about those to?

"Well you never know what may happen in the future, but at the moment that's totally it for the 'Drum- you have to know when to step off the wave before you get smashed on the rocks. As for other projects Stevo plays bass in HOMOH and Zinc Bukowski, and I'm sure he'll pop up on drums for someone soon, Fry's making electronica in Deformed, Pulsating, Vibrating, and I think he might be jamming some rock stuff as well, and Mat and I play instrumental psych/space stuff in The Cosmic Nod."

And with that this interview was wrapped up just in time for the announcement that The Witches Drum will be playing this years DesertFest in Camden, London. For our UK/Euro (and everyone else) readers; if you are attending this years DesertFest, be sure to catch The Witches Drum, as along with their mind melting blend of heavy psyche and stoner rock, their live performance is sure to be a highlight of the festival and will be a talking point for a long time thereafter; just like every other The Witches Drum gig. They have that effect on people.

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EP Review - OH NO by HOMOH

 

Oh no, it's HOMOH and they're back with "OH NO", their second EP which follows last years "DEMOH" and it is as sickeningly sludge laden and deplorably grimy as their debut is but this time there is actual singing going on, but I'll get to that in a bit.

HOMOH are 3 sick bastards from South Wales, UK, home to "nu-metal's" most disgraced rock star and devourer of young souls who is now languishing in gaol forever fearing for what's left of his shitty little life. HOMOH may be sick, but not that kind of sick; just their music is sick, but in a really good way. As individuals, they are personable, straight up geezers who play disgustingly heavy sludge that will leave you heaving small amounts of vomit into your mouth giving you a long lasting pukey taste, but lap it up because you are getting another go at your dinner for free.

Every bastard needs a bastardess, and HOMOH bring theirs in the form of, well, "Bastardess" which opens "OH NO" with a slack bottomed stoner-ish twang and screechy ominous feedback leading to a balls kicking bendy riff that lurches forward violently and pushes buildings over as it goes. Ghastly vocals are bawled out, asking "What is this inside of me?" and then comes the singing part. The juxtaposition of almost creepy melodic singing against the wall of filthy chugging sludge gives the sensation of repeatedly banging your head against said wall whilst a gaggle of extremely scary nurses sing you a lullaby. Your sanity doesn't last for long though, as HOMOH then drive the point home with a repetitive riff that bores into your head bone like a malicious trepanning tool that serves to increase pressure on your brain rather than release it.
 
An evil twin appears with "Hell Bent" picking up the pace in a gust of urgent, nervous excitement and large twanged bendy riffs that slam and roll along with tightly tumbling drums and with plenty of guttural howls added to the quickly sickening porridge. A marching riff has the track slow its pace to a stomp and sludge later on that feels like taking hefty weighted full body slams from persons of enormous stature leaving you quite breathless and worried.

And so you should be when "Ugly Baby" completes the triplets that make up HOMOH's "OH NO" family. It is delivered from split open feedback and comes to life with a pummel of punching riffs and lurching, teetering and toppling drums. Throat shredding howls and grunts make this one fugly kid but almost serene singing appears again at near mid-way point that lies underneath the throaty barks and which could be heard as a very terrifying midwife there to deliver "Ugly Baby" and the singing is an attempt to quell its black sludge temper. Ultimately all attempts fail however as the sludge turns blacker and "Ugly Baby" triumphs and morphs into a doomed beastly form that hulks along, sickeningly dishevelled but with a hard focused purpose nonetheless.

HOMOH are to be supporting Church of Misery towards the end of April. A most fitting support band if ever there was one. Wild madness is sure to ensue.

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Live Review - Swamp Feast with Honky, Desert Storm, The Witches Drum and more..

Last Saturday saw the return to Cardiff, Wales, UK, for those big bearded, tattoo caked, Texas fried and whiskey soaked, hard rocking gentledudes known as Honky as part of their short UK tour popularly demanded by those that were lucky enough to catch them the first time around on their very successful tour here several months ago in support of their latest album, 421.

Featuring legendary Butthole Surfers bassist JD Pinkus fresh from a stint playing and touring around the U.S. for The Melvins, and Honky guitarist Bobby Ed Landgraf recently standing in for Down guitarist Kirk Windstein following his departure from the band; Honky's return to the UK has been hotly anticipated since its announcement and I was lucky enough to be tasked with reviewing their stop at the Swamp Feast show at Cardiff's Full Moon Club, and my-oh-my what a show it was.

Howl (photo by Jhons Ramirez)

Swamp Feast kicked off early with   local boys Howl taking to the stage just after 5pm and a sizeable crowd had already gathered to hear what this 3 piece had to offer. Howl proceeded to rip through an energetic set of some very entertaining rock and rollin' blues that got the rapidly gathering crowd whipped up into a suitable frenzy. These 3 young lads showed they really have their shit together and despite their fairly recent formation, they played like they've been around for years and have played countless gigs. By the end of their set there were smiles all around from band and audience alike as the guys from Howl had a lot of fun on stage which provided some great energy so early on for Swamp Feast.

Suns Of Thunder (Photo by Jhons Ramirez)

A short break and next up were fellow South Walian boyos Suns of Thunder and I was especially excited to see this band as I haven't heard or seen them for many years. Suns of Thunder are true stalwarts of the Welsh heavy music scene having been together since 1999. After their hiatus I am pleased to see this band back together at last and playing shows again and they didn't disappoint in the slightest. By the time they kicked in with their first song the venue was getting pretty packed out as I wasn't the only one who was excited to see Suns of Thunder play the Welsh capital once again. Suns of Thunder tore through a tight and fat set of heavy blues rock full of head nodding grooves and funked up riffs. With beards and long hair blowing in the Full Moon breeze, Suns of Thunder took the initial frenzy whipped up by Howl and turned the crowd into a full blown ravenous frenzy of already inebriated heavy rock worshiping wild-folk. When Suns had finished their set it was obvious to all that Swamp Feast was gearing up to turn into absolute carnage with the hungry crowd baying for more greasy heavy blues and groovy riffs.

Johnny Cage & The Voodoogroove (Photo by Jhons Ramirez)

We didn't have long to wait before another local band that have been around for years stepped up and proceeded to whip the already frenzied crowd into a rock and booze fueled mega frenzy. Johnny Cage & The Voodoogroove are a very popular band in the Welsh capital and elsewhere besides, and they always draw a crowd of adoring fans and never fail to convert new ones whenever they play a show. Johnny Cage know how to get a crowd moving their asses to their brand of down and dirty rock'n'roll and sleazy blues and with each band member adorned in fittingly dapper attire, Johnny Cage blasted through a highly enjoyable set that was fast paced and lively and which reminded me at times of Reverend Horton Heat or The Jim Jones Revue. The now tightly packed crowd were getting rowdy and the Full Moon was getting steamy by the end of Johnny Cage's set, with shirts being unbuttoned and moisture covered people everywhere having been further whipped into near hysteria by the blues rocking grooves supplied by the very talented musicians that make up Johnny Cage & The Voodoogroove

The Witches Drum (Photo by Jhons Ramirez)

The night was only half way through but the party was in full swinging mode when it was time for another local band and one that is a firm favorite of many of the reviewers here on Heavy Planet; The Witches Drum. I've seen this band several times over the past couple of years but their performance last Saturday was one of the very best I've ever seen and will no doubt go down in the Annals of Welsh legend in years to come. Every song they played was brand new and which are due for recording and release sometime in the opening months of 2014 and if their performance of these new songs last Saturday is anything to go by, their new album is going to be a work of brilliance and I can't wait to hear it. 

The Witches Drum (Photo by Jhons Ramirez)

Their new material is much heavier than their last output and at times gave nods to the work of Kyuss, especially "Welcome To Sky Valley" which left me with a huge grin on my face. The similarities to Kyuss were only fleeting however as for the most part The Witches Drum delivered their songs in their truly unique and freaked out, acid drenched and psychedelic way. Singer Matt Fry, in his obligatory bright yellow marigolds and glittered face paint, was on great form with chaotic stage antics that saw him, and at one point one of The Witches Drum axe-men, jump into the thick and churning crowd to be lifted above everyone's heads or to writhe around on the floor in a wild frenzy of pure unadulterated freaking rock-outs. The unholy pentagram that is The Witches Drum ended their set in an evocation of otherworldly psychedelia creating wild eyed stares of bewilderment in all who were present, followed by an uproar of deafening noise from the exalted crowd. Beautiful fucking chaos is how I will always remember this performance from The Witches Drum. 

The Witches Drum (Photo by Jhons Ramirez)

By the time Desert Storm took to the stage The Full Moon was crammed to the hilt with hungry riff worshipers eager to hear what these Oxford stoner metal dons had to offer the venue once again. Desert Storm accompanied Honky during their previous tour of the UK as their official support band and when they swung by The Full Moon back then I was blown away by their music and a week later I feverishly went about reviewing their brilliant album "Horizontal Life", which they so kindly gave me to review.

Desert Storm (Photo by Jhons Ramirez)

The Full Moon was now a sweltering mass of writhing bodies while Desert Storm pulverized and crushed us all with huge stoner metal and sludge riffs played with massive amounts of raw energy that caused the crowd to surge backwards and forwards and all away around the dance floor to the point that I was convinced there would be casualties. Young ladies were being tossed about like bowling pins but thankfully no one was hurt and no one lost their smiles as Desert Storm stormed through delicious sludge, tripped out psychedelia and heavy and head down and nodding grooves to satisfy and somehow tame a crowd that was near to bursting into insanity. I thoroughly enjoyed Desert Storm's set and I can't wait to hear them when they swing by The Full Moon again in early December.

With blood shot eyes, mussed up hair, disheveled clothes and drunken slurrings, the crowd gathered for Swamp Feast headliners Honky who came all the way from Austin, Texas to grace our cold and damp city and to play to us their championship superboogie, hard rocking, hoedown party tunes once again. I managed to have a chat with JD Pinkus before the show and he was a truly standup and thoroughly decent Texan gentleman. Now, I am a HUGE fan of Butthole Surfers so I met one of my heroes that night but I managed to keep my cool and not act like some weirdo fanboy by just nodding and smiling politely as I tried to gauge what he was saying to me through his thick Texan accent and even thicker beard. 

Honky (Photo by Paul Scott Thomas Photography)

Honky (Photo by Paul Scott Thomas Photography)

After a short sound check to get them sounding just how they wanted (Honky are ever the professionals), they kicked off with hilarious stage banter to amp up the crowd and then launched into a racous set of hard and heavy rock played so tightly and with such a relaxed manner that showed Honky are brilliant musicians and have a lot of fun playing their instruments. Honky easily kept the party going as they rocked The Full Moon to its very foundations with everyone dancing like crazy whilst caught in Honky's hard rock net, making them the masters of Texan Rock 'n' Roll. At one point Bobby Ed stepped aside to let one of Desert Storm's guitarists bash out a Honky song which went down an absolute storm with everyone cheering and smiling and dancing along. Honky ended their set to uproars of loud cheers and calls for more but Honky were done rocking us and so no encore was given but they left a highly energized and somewhat drunken crowd wanting to party long into the night. 

Honky (Photo by Jhons Ramirez)

Honky (Photo by Jhons Ramirez)

  

Honky (Photo by Paul Scott Thomas Photography)

Honky (Photo by Paul Scott Thomas Photography)

And party long into the night we did as much of the crowd gathered outside The Full Moon on a chilly night to carry on drinking and toking and excitedly chatting the night away in a mass of old friends and new. Everyone was hugely satisfied that all bands that played Swamp Feast gave it their all and delivered quality tunes and we all had a loud ringing in our ears the next day to prove it.

The Full Moon club is shaping up to be a legendary live music venue and the South Wales heavy music scene goes from strength to strength because of their constantly great bookings on a regular basis. Much gratitude goes to the organizers of Swamp Feast for putting on such a great show.

I also want to give special thanks to gig snappers Jhons Ramirez and Paul Scott Thomas Photography for kindly contributing photos of the night and also to Sam Holland for making it happen so I could include these photos for all to see.

HONKY // DESERT STORM // THE WITCHES DRUM // JOHNNY CAGE & THE VOODOOGROOVE // SUNS OF THUNDER // HOWL

New Band To Burn One To: IRONBIRD

HEAVY PLANET presents... IRONBIRD!

BAND BIO:

From over a decade of playing metal in Cardiff under various guises including Diabolo and The Devil's Hand, Ironbird delivers lowdown, thunderous tales of assassins, curses and false messiahs.



THOUGHTS:

"For a stripped-down, vociferous and unpretentious fuzzfest, I suggest you check out the latest release "Songs of Spite and Ire" from UK stoner metallers Ironbird. The tunes represented on this album harken back to the early nineties when grunge and stoner rock were in coexistence. Utilizing the warm and fuzzy tones of stoner/desert rock and the raw punkish feel of grunge, each song is remarkably played with precision and passion. Where the band truly shines is when they layer in unassuming melody, shredding solos and a classic metal crunch to an already appeasing sound. Standout tracks such as "Black Sunrise", "Count the Curses" and "Ghost Prayer" will surely leave an eternal buzz ringing in your ears for daze. And oh yeah, you can get all this glorious fuzzy mayhem for free. Love this shit!"

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New Band To Burn One To: THE WITCHES DRUM

Heavy Planet presents today's "New Band To Burn One To" . . . The Witches Drum!

Band Bio:

Since their formation in 2009, Cardiff band The Witches Drum – vocals (Matt Fry), guitar (Joel McCauley), guitar (Mike Lancaster), bass (Owen Griffiths), and drums (Stephen Jones) – have fast become the Heavy Rock Spectacular for diehard followers of psychedelic noise.

Having threatened to release an EP for some time now Future Kings Of An Empty Throne is the group’s first official release on the band’s own imprint, Levitation Records. Recorded by Fudge Wilson (Exit International) at Sound Space Studios, over four tracks the band swallow influences and choke alchemy out of crowd rousing concoctions. From Beefheartian barks (‘Watch The Freaks Lose It’), tripped out San Fran jams (‘Filthy Closets’) and chugging Led Zep rock it’s a heady mix of ’73 era British blues and West Coast stoner doom. Primordial, loud and the aural embodiment of sleazy rock ‘n’ roll.

As anyone who has witnessed their frenzied shows will testify, their reputation precedes them. A regular fixture on the local South Wales scene playing live alongside the likes of Thorun, Zinc Bukowski and Johnny Cage And The Voodoo Groove, front man Matt Fry’s glowering reptilian presence and the group’s embrace of long forgotten sounds (think Blue Cheer, Sir Lord Baltimore, Josefus et al) is truly something to behold. Like a crazed collision of Arthur Brown theatrics and weighty Electric Wizard vibrations, they’ve electrified believers with big riffs and unforgettable shows. Most memorably at Cardiff’s annual Sŵn Festival, with a storming set and weekend closer.

Thoughts:


The Witches Drum bring a raucous rock n' roll party on "Future Kings of an Empty Throne", with some very cool and funky rhythms that never hold back on the loud and the heavy while seeming to bend both space and time as they trip through the moods and the melodies of these four sensational tracks. While the songs are nuanced with many incredible layers of style and delivery, they will at any time come right out and slap you upside the head with sledgehammer blows and flamethrower fireballs. The opening track, "Watch the Freaks Lose It" is an astonishing concoction of fun and fury, with melody, heart, and riffage aplenty. When the band kicks into high gear the solos scorch with arc welder intensity, the bass like the unyielding fury of commercial sledgehammers, accompanied by large gauge drum beat blasts of gattling gun tempo, all wrapped up in clear, deep, rich vocals that complete the paisley clad package. But they never stay under the heavy too long, superbly moving into multi-layered and colorful psychedelic renditions of uber-cool wickedness, gracefully and expertly blending the seemingly disparate styles into unbelievably fantastic and melodious renditions of something unique and superb. 


The digital album is currently available on bandcamp. The CDs will be shipping in early September.


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