New Band To Burn One To: DOPEGOAT

Hold thy preconceptions at the door, DOPEGOAT are not as you may think. Most acts associated with ‘Dope’ tend to play swamp heavy sludge with songs based solely around reefer and drinking, but not this Atalanta, Georgia, four-piece who offer something completely different.

Having just released their debut self-titled EP (available for free), the band, made up of Adam Clarke, Sam Bielski, Matthew Klem and William Walker, are dipping their toes into a sonic ocean that not many others are trying at the moment, and it’s a bravery that pays off and has to be admired as the EP delivers waves of thought-provoking musical exchanges.

There’s such a varied mix of styles going on here it’s hard to keep up with the influx of groove metal, jazz, stoner, doom-laden, goth-like grunge, psychedelic tendencies that these four fine young gentlemen throw into the mix, constantly leaving you guessing as to which way the wind will take them next. If you single out the track ‘Troll Hunter’, a 10-minute epic journey showcasing the last 50 years of rock music, with grave deep doom, covered under a mist of stoner riffs, all following on from a finger clicking groovy jazz bass line that at first seems to have no right being there, it showcases everything the band is trying to do. Even when the band are doing something completely different, their influences can flow heavily as seen on ‘North Pond Hermit’ which echoes  Melvins-like madness.

Make sure you check out DOPEGOAT before their debut full-length implodes the band through one giant headfuck.

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Sunday Sludge: Jucifer - District of Dystopia

So that walk home really sucked. I'm not terribly fond of interacting with law enforcement, so those flashing lights interrupting my route evoked that fight-or-flight retort. Fuck it. I'll take the long way home. And fuck them.

Oh, these new Jucifer sounds... It's not only unfair to scream "departure," it's also categorically inaccurate. The ever-ambulant duo have never allowed particular descriptors to stick, so calling their nine-track thrasher District of Dystopia a change of pace isn't fair. But it also doesn't fit their sticky-flogged mold of gigantic, expansive noise-doom. The largest head-turn here results not from the sound, but from the message. The duo would roll over in their roving bunks if they knew you'd given a listen and failed on realizing the larger fucking point. Turns out they care less about amped cabinets and more about what's just.

From the quickly disjointed onset of Non Gratum Anus Rodentum through the blackened grindcrust of the swamp-ridden The Object of Power, Jucifer exercise a legislative muckrake from the bottom up. A soldier's misfortune, though partly pinned on his own poor judgment, also points to higher powers recruiting, promising, lying, and never giving a single fuck about the boys in queue. With honesty comes pain, and the band's brutal, scabby pace sets sights on capturing lo-fi consciousness with the hope that this audience digs deeper and pays attention to more than rattling speakers. More than metal, this is rebellion.

Quick, low-slung filth immediately puts light years between these sounds and the droning marriage of metropolitan doubt and teen angst lacing their previous work. It's as if these two intentionally gave a fistfuck to production and hope these runes get marquee billing. Utilizing no shortage of fuzz and Edgar Livengood's intermittent but never absent drummed violence, stop-start chops form swarms of hornets that encase the senses. Sure, the fur gets as saturated as you'd expect. But we're in trouble... When Jucifer pull a burlap sack over our heads and a breaching hammer makes its blows, we know this flaming gaze has a purpose. More importantly, though, it has a heartbeat.

Gazelle Valentine's vocal remains, at times, breathy as you'd expect. But these wheels come off quick, essentially gnawing with an overt aggression directed at D.C.'s representatives. The unrelenting spite is wholly infectious, so perhaps the duo's objective remains more clear and accessible than the sounds. Oh, you weren't expecting this? Did you hear Jucifer's LAST release?! The shifted tempos hide the lyrical depth, but there's a LOT to absorb here. And that this couple finds its mark in well-under thirty minutes is their exercise in hazy, shrouded brilliance.

District Of Dystopia will remind you of those demos your buddy handed you in ninth grade. More raw than the sound, though, is the sense that something's not right. Jucifer take that sense, smack it sober, and shove it in your face. It's revved and uncompromised, devoid of restraint and any second guess. Don't bother getting uncomfortable when your uncle brings up political incompetence as you're chewing Virginia Christmas fat. For those with any virtue, this album is little more than an adjunct argument. For the uninitiated, this sludge-thrash exercise is Insurgency 101. It's also one of 2014's most compelling releases, front to back.

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Zac's "Double Dose": HALMOS / Kylesa

 

HALMOS: Exist 

This week's Double Dose covers the vast array of musical genres we love and promote here at Heavy Planet... Doom, check. Psychedelic, check. Sludge, check. And last, but certainly not least, Stoner Rock, check and double check. What could be better? How about the fact that both bands are Georgia based, rich with that southern sludge flowing through their veins. This is stacking up to be one of the mightiest 'Doses the 'Planet has conjured. So, enough of this pussyfootin' shuffle, lets get to the music. 

Reg introduced us to HALMOS last year as a NBTBOT. As newcomers to the game HALMOS had their work cut out for them. Shaping their doom-laden sludge as a duo proved effective, however the dudes wanted the crust of the earth to waiver and shake beneath them, opening the gates to the mantle and giving way to a sea of liquid magma. HALMOS have achieved their desired goal by redefining their very anatomy. Having now added another guitarist and a bass player HALMOS' sound is full, complete. With four-horsemen in saddle HALMOS refined some old stuff, created some new stuff and produced Exist. Still driving each track is a doom-paced march, steadily craving away sea and earth. No folks, we hardly break into a gallop in Exist. Trodding along decimating everything in its path Exist grows with immense distortion and something rare... all four musician's vocals. This could be a stumbling block for some, but HALMOS excel and add a new depth to the southern sludge scene with this characteristic. Be sure to spin my favorite track Outcry below. Packed with intelligent percussion and a tribal flair, Outcry is one of the few tracks that speed things up and implements a dynamic range of vocalization and timing. Lastly, check out the upcoming HALMOS tour dates this summer here and support them by pickin' up a copy Exist at bandcamp.

Members: 

Casey Yarbrough - Guitar // Vocals 

Corey Briley - Guitar // Vocals 

Melanie Maher - Bass // Vocals 

Travis Anderson - Drums // Vocals

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Kylesa: Ultraviolet 

Wake up! Breathe in! Exhale! Initiate dream sequence. Welcome to the conception of Kylesa's latest album, fittingly named Ultraviolet. Wasting absolutely no time in announcing Ultraviolet as their own, Kylesa's first track, Exhale, stomps with that signature percussive heavy sound. For those readers unfamiliar with the Georgia progressive mud-slingers, its time to crawl out from your cave. Kylesa are one of the most dynamic five-pieces to hit the metal scene... the music scene. Period. Ultraviolet is their sixth full length release and follow-up to the totally excellent 2010 release Spiral Shadow. Brandishing a more progressive rock tone with Spiral Shadow, Kylesa began redefining the Georgia-sludge genre that they helped established. Rather than regressing Kylesa have continued to challenge their creative core (and that of their fans) and construct something authentic from the black and white sludge canvas they started with some ten years ago. Kylesa have transitioned to a gray scale, adding magnitudes of depth and texture, with the releases Static Tension and Spiral Shadow. Finally, with the delivery of Ultraviolet Kylesa display their full manipulation of sonic frequency, creating what I would like to call the cosmic technicolor orchestra. Much more psychedelic sounding, huh? That's exactly what I found on Ultraviolet. 

The new dynamics Kylesa has bred into their sound level the playing field, very similar to what Baroness did last year with Yellow & Green. Also similar to Yellow & Green, I discovered as Ultraviolet plays each track becomes a bit more experimental, a bit different from the initial sound we were introduced to, leaving the musicians vulnerable, baring everything. [Please do not take this as a direct comparison to Baroness, I don't mean it to be.]   All this bodes well for a group of musicians who remain flexible and versatile in this chaotic and ever changing landscape. One thing that Kylesa doesn't change is the victorious uproar that two drummers can create. Take one of my favorite tracks Long Gone. Immediately noticeable is the dual drumming and its prominence in the mix. Long Gone meanders gently until the one minute thirty second mark where everything disappears from the mix except the tribal beat from Carl McGinley and Eric Hernandez. The guitars quietly enter again followed by Laura Pleasants' lovely voice, giving Long Gone a dark pop-touch. There is a magnetic force about Laura Pleasants here on Ultraviolet compared to past releases. She has always had that grab you by the balls allure, but now the auditory combination of her raw aggression and elegant beauty produce a mysterious attraction that will pull all music lovers deeper into the Kylesa sphere. Low Tide is another step towards vulnerability for the band. Here influences from eighties shoegaze and pop shine brighter, as well as the overall psychedelic mood. Low Tide create a drowning feeling and Laura enchants with dreamy vocals leaving listeners very comfortable while Phillip Cope encourages with the lyrics, "It's not the end." Vulture's Landing promptly follows up with a more familar Kylesa sound. The bass and percussion grind away at the clock while heavy, southern inspired RIFFS press us forward. Laura's vocals again surface in that same dreamy sense although now in with more foreboding tone. 

In a recent review Coverkiller Nation coined the description Dream Sludge while speaking about Ultraviolet. I like that and think its a fitting description for this new wave release from one of Georgia's finest and most talented. Implementing the right elements from psychedelic, pop, progressive, and shoegaze styles Kylesa have illustrated themselves not only in technicolor and ultraviolet but also infrared and any wave length your nerdy metal-mind can concoct. Pick up your copy now from Seasons of Mist or your favorite retailer.

Members: 

Carl McGinley - Drums 

Chase Rudeseal - Bass 

Eric Hernandez - Drums 

Laura Pleasants - Vocals // Guitar 

Phillip Cope - Vocals // Guitar // Theremin

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BARONESS: The Heavy Planet Interview

You can compare your band's gold-nugget with their sub-par releases all you want. Fans fall in love with their favorites and expect Point A to meet Point Fuck in an encapsulation of everything the band never quite achieved. The standards aren't met, the fans aren't pumping fists, and the whispers drive you crazy.

Holy fucking hell. Enter Baroness: Sludge/Swamp/Progressive juggernauts that have cemented their status as stone-carved metal kings. Their new double album, Yellow & Green, is heavy enough for your fist-pumping uncle and accessible enough for your aunt Judy to say "I could listen to that." I'm not saying this is fishing music. I'm saying this is a gorgeous, expansive, and far-reaching double-serving of the best song-craft you'll hear in 2012.

Heavy Planet recently snagged Pete Adams for a coiled spell and discovered the band's connections to the new record, touring perspectives, and heavy music in the modern era.

Heavy Planet: Yellow & Green was released on July 17th. These songs are consistent with the Baroness sound and fit alongside the band's catalog, though listeners will detect a broadened scope. What was the approach to writing Yellow & Green and how does this approach compare to those of The Red Album and The Blue Record?

Pete Adams: We had a more streamlined approach on how the songs would be composed. In the past we would add as much as possible to create a technically progressive sounding song. We wanted to create songs that could be focused around vocals and have a broader range of dynamics.

HP: Yellow & Green contains noticeably more melody, more harmony, and an increased (and seemingly effortless) focus on song-writing. Is this the product of any deliberate shift or more the band's (and band members') natural trajectory?

PA: It is definitely a natural progression. We have grown a lot as songwriters since we started this band almost 10 years ago. You grow a lot as a person in that amount of time as well, which will change your creative process and outcome. We are not the type of band to just make the same record over and over. We will always shift and challenge ourselves to create something compelling.

HP: You guys brought back John Congleton to handle production and engineering on Yellow & Green. What separates him from his contemporaries and what drew you guys back to him?

PA: John has a great ear for authenticity. He is a producer that believes in the humanistic value of recording. He can capture the real essence of a musician down to their raw form. This was important for this album, since so much of the music on this album is very personal; it opens up a new side of Baroness.

HP: Every listener has favorites, tracks that immediately strike a personal, emotional chord. To which tracks from Yellow & Green do you have the strongest personal connection?

PA: There are a lot of different emotions happening on this album. Each song creates a different vibe. I think that ‘Back Where I Belong’ has always hit close to home for me. I remember the first time I heard the lyrics and I listened to the demo over and over, it really struck a chord with me.

HP: What experiences (be they personal, professional, even super-conscious) most heavily influenced and shaped the songs on Yellow & Green?

PA: We always try to push ourselves as musicians to create something that challenges us. We all have grown as songwriters and wanted to try and create something. Writing this album was a different process which needed different inspirations: from life or from other music that we had not taken influence from before. This is Baroness stretching its arms out and trying new paths to create a broader palette of music.

HP: Describe the band's connection to the city of Savannah. How does that compare to the connection to Lexington? Where on Yellow and Green (and in the band's entire catalog) are these connections most strongly evident?

PA: We all grew up as kids in Lexington, that’s where our roots are. This is where we started to learn about music and would go to great lengths to discover new bands. You had to work hard to get out and see live shows or even to buy albums. Savannah was the town where we started the band, so there was a lot of influence from the community there as well as the vibe of the city.

HP: You guys just began a tour of Europe. How's the new material being received by audiences?

PA: Most people know the singles that were released a few weeks before the album came out. We are throwing more and more songs into the set. It's interesting to see the reaction, and if people sing along you know they have listened to the whole album.

HP: What was it like playing between two unrelenting, undeniably brutal acts like Meshuggah and Decapitated?

PA: We were the light and fluffy cream filling in the middle of a brutal sandwich. It wasn’t easy to play in between such acts but I think some people who never had heard of us enjoyed our set.

HP: What have been some of the most rewarding tour experiences? What acts have you shared the stage with that you feel audiences shouldn't miss?

PA: I really like doing our own headlining tours. Mostly because our fan base is so diverse that we get to meet so many different types of people. Its very rewarding to connect with your own fan base. We just recently played some festivals with Red Fang. You should definately see them live. It’s a lot of fun.

HP: Describe what you believe to be the current state of metal/heavy music. In what directions do you see today's bands going and how do these compare to their forerunners and influences?

PA: There have been some really huge strides in heavy music from bands experimenting and going outside the boundaries. Metal can be a very conservative music style. The fans want it the way it always has been and it takes a while for people to latch on to a new way of looking at heavy music. I respect bands that push the limits and try new things. I think that newer influences are becoming more broad, alas shaping heavy music to be a more rounded experience than in the past, where at times was very one sided.

Many thanks to Pete for allowing Heavy Planet to interrupt his European touring schedule. Look for Yellow & Green in stores and online NOW!

New Band To Burn One To: DEAD SOUTHERN BISHOP

Heavy Planet presents...DEAD SOUTHERN BISHOP!

Today's "New Band To Burn One To" comes from Georgia.

Band Bio:

Dead Southern Bishop was born early in the year of 2008 and that May we played our first show. The following Febuary we wento Zombie Studios and cut five tracks of southern sludge groove. Our self tilted ep was pressed and released late March of 2009 to rave reviews from the likes of HellRide Music, Doom Nation and Skulls n Bones. In May of 2009 Brian Lane was added as a second guitar player to round out our line up. After countless more shows shows and an un-recorded new ablum, things came up and in August of 2010 we had to put DSB on hiatus. During this time bassist Chris Morris moved back home to West Virginia and Brian Lane stept down to sepend more time with his family. Now in 2011 Blake, Billy, and Ben decided to resurrect the band with new life and a new sound. Going back to the roots of DSB sounds and stripping it down to go for the throat!! Late in the year of 2011 the band entered Red Rocket Sounds to record a new ep with Franks Sikes (Drummer of Starchild.) at head of production!! The studio sesson would be called "Hymns Of Malice And Discontent" an ablum screaming with a wretched distaste for life, hopeless salvation, and the woes of addiction.



Thoughts:

"As if evil itself plunged you into a caustic swamp, Dead Southern Bishop's thick fuzz and hell hath no fury vocal layering leave you doubting if you will ever make it out alive. These southern boys wind and grind through five hair-raising songs of sludge, sludge and more sludge on their latest EP "Hymns Of Malice And Discontent". This music is pure, raw, unrelentless and not for the faint of heart, but holy shit if it isn't awesome! And oh, did I mention right now you can get it for free on Bandcamp."

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