QUICK HIT: Kitchen Witch - "Kitchen Witch"

You're just standing there, innocently, expectantly, hoping to engage with the new discovery when Georgie and Simon begin a bisensual assault of straight stinging jabs to your ears......they use their instruments of choice, of course, vocals for Georgie, and bass guitar for Simon. The assault is powerful, coordinated, measured, and.......delightful! Soon enough the rest of Kitchen Witch join in, Conor on guitar and John on drums, and the odyssey has begun, a colorful trip of brilliance and ecstasy.

The bluesy rock sound of Kitchen Witch will quickly bludgeon any impending designs on productivity you may have had, snaking it's electrified tendrils in and around the primal center of your musical DNA before tightening it's amplified grip, supplanting any sense of awareness for an overabundant experience of joy and euphoria. Yeah. It's that powerful. So, lie back, let go, lick your lips, and luxuriate in the lush experience of Kitchen Witch's superior sound.

bandcamp >>|<< facebook >>|<< instagram >>|<< twitter >>|<< youtube >>|<< soundcloud

Quick Hit: Bathsheba - "Servus"

Resplendence and shadow could easily be the hallmarks of the exquisitely rendered "Servus" from Bathsheba, a Belgian quartet of low-tuned and penetrating boulder crushers, who take hallmarks of their inherent land to provide dark, haunting, atmospheric encounters from their native charcoal mountains intertwined with the brilliance and density of Antwerp's diamond industry. Shadows and light, power and finesse, subterranean depths and soaring heights, all are delivered with great appetite and ferocious prowess. Fronted by the elegant and ethereal vocals of Michelle Nocon, bolstered by the underlying vigor and brawn of bassist Raf Meukens and drummer Jelle Stevens, and masterfully propelled throughout by guitarist Dwight Goossens, the odyssey through coagulation and syrup of ebon is entrancing and euphoric.

bandcamp >><< facebook

7" Review: Aboleth - EP-I

Feast your eyes on that simple, beautiful album cover above. It's a bellwether for what is packaged inside. Los Angeles trio Aboleth have kicked off their career with a sweet three song 7" record simply titled EP-1, packed with explosive stoner rock magic that runs the gamut of tripping all the right triggers of outstanding stoner/desert/retro/blues rock.

The hard rocking trio include:

Brigitte Roka on vocals
Dan Joeright on drums
Collyn McCoy on baguitar

Baguitar? What the......? McCoy, stoner rock royalty from both Trash Titan and Ultra Electric Mega Galactic, has devised a new hybrid instrument that allows him to riff both ultra high and mega low. The sound of this beautiful invention is a runaway blitzkrieg thunder vortex, which McCoy unleashes from the jump on the first track, "No Good".

"No Good" is a tremendous introduction to Aboleth's sound as Joeright's skinskinning comes in alongside McCoy's baguitar monsoon licks to create a clean, athletic sound that stretches the boundaries of blues rock riffing. It pulls you in quickly with its brilliance before the door squeaks open for Roka's raspberry sweet and smoky bourbon vocals to ooze seamlessly into the mix, making a triumvirate of indigo crisp and mesmerizing stoner bliss. This song is raucous and well crafted, a whipsaw of thick multidimensional fuzz, a deluge of intriguing sound and melody.

Next up is "Corpsehunter", another onslaught of sound and craft, weaving melody with those unique baguitar riffs and Roka's pitch perfect vocals, vocals that simultaneously haunt and exhilarate. Closing out the thrill ride is "Captain Cheese", a nearly 7 minute psychedelic turn on a measured metal journey, impeccable in detail and nuance, and brilliant in deeply heartfelt exertion.

The sound Aboleth has crafted is simply exquisite. It's fine stoner/desert rock, but doesn't rest there on any laurels. The sound of the baguitar is equally exquisite, magnifying the energy and amplitude of standard fuzz riffage, which makes for a deeper than usual intrigue for the listener. Roka's vocals are unique. They contain both the sharp cutting edge of the finest of female vocals while tempering that keenness with an underlying ragged snarl that magnifies the appeal of the whole. And then there are the clean, clear, muscular rhythms of Joeright's drumwork, who manages to pull off the difficult task of making the underlying rhythm significant enough to be enjoyed without ever stepping on the magnificence of his cohorts' contributions. The three pillars upon which Aboleth are founded and upon which it stands are formidable in function, breathtaking in form, and a fantastically thrilling encounter.

Aboleth are in the studio cranking out their next wide spectrum stoner sojourn. Once this initial triple jam foray gets a bit of notoriety the anticipation for future releases will likely skyrocket. This first stage booster is powerful and magnificent and should pave the way for the explosive stages of future releases.

bandcamp ||  facebook || instagram

Song of the Day-Earth Drive-"Standing Stone"

"Standing Stone" is taken off of the latest 5-song EP "Planet Mantra" out now on Raging Planet. As you prepare for lift off, a warm guitar tone and infectious riff immediately set the stage. The tension mounts as a hypnotic, hard-driving stoner rock groove, high soaring female vocal and intense melody blast you into a cosmic dimension. For more information regarding the band and this release, please check out the following links: Facebook | Bandcamp

Song of the Day-The Black Wizards-"Lake of Fire"

"Lake of Fire" is taken of the latest full-length release of the same name. Starting off with a furious drum beat, this song is a raging psychedelic freak out of scorching guitar wizardry, classic heavy rock thunder, fuzzy riffing and an impassioned bluesy female vocal. Some pretty killer shit right here. For more information, please check out the following links: Facebook | Bandcamp

Song of the Day-Black Vulpine-"White Witch Woman"

"White Witch Woman" is taken from the band's debut full-length release "Hidden Places" released September 11. 2015 on Moment of Collapse Records. This song starts off with a nice fuzzy guitar riff and gently culminates into a full-blown eargasm filled with a becalming female vocal, doom-laden occult vibe and progressive layering. For more information, please check out the following links: Facebook | Bandcamp

New Band To Burn One To: Bleeth

There’s an exciting visceral sound emanating from the Miami area at the moment in the form of noise/grunge/psych/stoner act Bleeth. This month sees the band release their debut  Re-Animator on tape, 5 tracks of angst-ridden songs, some instrumental (‘Apex’), some spoken word (‘Chroma’), but all covered with a bass line of raw, grungy ethereal songs that immediately connect you to the band’s bloodline. The vocal turn taking between Ryan Rivas and Lauren Palma make for an exciting listen, showing that the group have a large pool of sounds to pluck from on future releases, always keeping the listener guessing.

It might be very early stages for the band (and not a lot of info on them, hence the shorter version of our NBTBOT), but this could be a very exciting sonic journey they’re starting; best for us to get in there at the beginning.

Facebook|Bandcamp