LP Review- Midwest Electric by The Heavy Company

Some bands are too good for their own good. Some bands try and polish their sound till their album is 'bout as dull as a Steely Dan record. But some bands just go for it, loose and lean, like they were back in the garage- or woodshed. The Heavy Company (THC) are one of these bands. They just wrapped up production on their new album Midwest Electric, and this loose, jammy, heavy album proudly displays its warts for all the world to see. This album is rough and wonderful, a throwback to the sounds of yore, when rock bands weren't into categories and would throw anything into their sonic stew without worrying about what any scene might think.

This experimental mindset, coupled with conviction, drove THC to make the album they'd want to hear. They've pieced together Hawkwind effects and scope, Greatful Dead noodling, and riffs when needed to create a compelling piece of Hoosier rawk. Here's a quick rundown of the album.

The Humboldt County Waltz starts things off with a cough, before garagey guitars accompany Ian Gerber's skillet fried warble as he asks for what we all want; "a stash like Willie's and some/room to breathe". This line sums up the bands philosophy, and likely more than a few of you can relate. A Groove a Mile Wide drips like frozen molasses from the speakers with minimal guitar and hints of drone and echo. Neil Young is a ballad that name checks the godfather of grunge, Greasy Mush is an instrumental with stuttering boogie riffs and leads that ring while some wicked synths gurgle in the background. One Big Drag can be heard below, so I'll spare you my description. Sailing Towards the Setting Sun is the trippiest track on the album, which you might have gleaned from the sci-fi title. The tune drones and floats and the narrator sings about existential space concerns. The tune might seem out of place on an album by a band who gave a shit about making all their tunes a copy of the previous one. The album ends with a bang, El Bango Grande gallops out the gates with country inflected vocals which give way to whooshing effects and Pink Floyd style sparse guitar scapes. An eclectic end to an interesting album.

Find this one on Bandcamp, in digital or CD. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for vinyl.

  

Facebook/Bandcamp

Zac's "Double Dose": The Hedons / My Sleeping Karma

 

The Hedons: Tomb of Stars 

Indiana Astro Doom heavyweights The Hedons have returned in glorious fashion with their latest full length Tomb of Stars. The trio were introduced as a New Band To Burn One To back in August 2011 with their debut Earth on My Nerves. Our Head Honcho [Reg] celebrated the very manifestation of the Heavy Planet soul in what The Hedons were creating. And you know... as I sip my cup of decaf Maxwell House, I couldn't agree with Reg more. The Hedons' self description of Astro Doom comprehensively expresses the blend of genres that bring us to Heavy Planet everyday. Tomb of Stars boast plenty of fuzz and distortion with big sides of cosmic effects and spaced out RIFFS. The band have also studied their influences diligently. Looking for some Black Sabbath-y stuff, spin At The Mountains. Need a touch of Wino? Album closer Ragnarok has you covered. But nothing quite hits home for me like the slow psychedelic burn of Sludgeflower, definitely my favorite track of Tomb of Stars and possible my favorite song title this year. Say it with me now... Sludgeflower. With an album this well put together, it's inevitable that The Hedon's will end up among the Heavy Planet hallowed.

Members: 

Jace Epple – Drums // Vocals 

Jeff Kaleth – Guitars // Vocals

Robert Ryan Strawsma – Bass // Vocals

I bandcamp I facebook I web I

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

My Sleeping Karma: Soma 

After a few weeks of nothing but rollickin' rock, dismal doom, and sodden sludge there comes a time for quiet reflection. Now, by quiet reflection I don't necessarily mean silence. I enjoy music to much to deal with silence. Deciding to give some time to Aschaffenburg's [Germany] My Sleeping Karma and their introspective instrumental grooves on their latest release Soma I found just the quiet time I was in need of. This four-some's sound leave the lyrics to their listener's conscience while the gently plucked guitar entwine with the remaining trio's rhythmic foundation. Repetitive, yes. Meditative, even more so. Expect a more Red Sparrows vibe then Pelican. The heavy is there, its just a placid heavy. Check out my favorite track Ephedra below. The tracks steady and recurrent themes build to a luscious crescendo. Good karma isn't always easy to come by so get some now on vinyl or CD at My Sleeping Karma's web-store or download it from Amazon or iTunes. Peace be with you.

 

Members: 

Matte - Bass 

Norman - Soundboard 

Seppi - Guitar 

Steffen - Drums

I facebook I last.fm I web I

Sunday Sludge: Yellowtooth - "Disgust"

I can't say I've "visited" Michigan City, Indiana. I had to pull off Interstate 94 last fall when my son nearly shit his pants on a return to Illinois from Michigan. The exit didn't take us far into town, and I left without giving Michigan City another thought. I'd failed to recall that Heavy Planet years ago featured the down-tempo, beer-guzzling sludge trio Yellowtooth as a New Band To Burn One To. It's too bad; these guys would get along great with my wife.

Just this past week, Yellowtooth released Disgust (Orchestrated Misery Recordings), a ten-track diatribe of shit-caked southern indigestion that buzzes better than a lipper o' Skoal. The sound is thick and damp, while the mood is dark and malevolent. There's no shortage of everything you'd expect from an excellent sludge record, but the band set themselves apart by leaning toward doom, nodding to southern rock forefathers, and spitting a barely detectable whisper of harmony here and there. Tasty stuff.

Wizard Dust opens with an immediate chop-riff-chop dynamic that is nearly buried by a low bass grumble. Henry McGinnis provides a gruff, glass-chewing vocal that perfectly marries the filthy sludge churn. His guitar pulls away from the mire just long enough to break into a middle-finger solo, sailing over a hard-hitting rhythm and shooting straight up your ass. That intermittent chop is revisited on Prophetic Ramblings. Quick and thick with a dusty shred and murky low-ends, the track keeps a torrid clip. The choppy back-and-forth is led by Peter Clemens' bass, strung through the album like hot razor wire.

The heavy-handedness of Burning Daylight and Traitor demonstrate a penchant for an arcing pendulum of doom. Burning Daylight's judgment day sound is evil and unforgiving. The slow burn gives way to a guitar gallop as listeners are dragged by their heels. Yellowtooth are laughing every time you squeal, as the under-lighted vocal creeps alongside buzzsaw riffery. Traitor, on the other hand, punishes slowly. Ed Kribs' drums were recorded in medieval Romania on this drudging doom return. Ominous clouds break on a lifted tempo as McGinnis' fretwork burns down villages. Oh, and that simmering, electric bassline can't be ignored as gargantuan riff-stomps drive in the dagger.

There's a surprise or two as the album's thorax hits its stride. 75 Black Pontiac is a (kind of) hopeful and harmonious change of pace. The massive riffs haven't fled, but the rhythm isn't slung as low as the other tracks. You could say guitars are responsible for the massive directional shift, but you'd be impatient and proven wrong. Yellowtooth return to the grip of stomach-knotting sludge, while a stoner roll and sweet solo later juxtapose the wet-blanket vocal prevalent throughout. Following a similar trajectory is On the Trail of Lewis Medlock, which is only slightly more accessible than what we've come to expect from Yellowtooth. Southern-fried rock elements abound and we never quite leave the bog, though there's slightly more melody here as the tires spin. A vengeful stomp through thick, dense timber relents and Clemens' bass again simmers.

The riff-driven, crackling-ember patience of Soulstalker's opening moments is quickly met with a layered toilet-gurgle, picking up on a grinding sandblast. The engine purrs with malignance, guitars break free and cruise through Dimebag-ish pullback, and Kribs' double kick-drum attack sets the pace. But the Dimebag influence is most noticeable on the smoke-blown, smoldering romp of The 11th Hour. The track is Yellowtooth at their finest, peppering rhythmic drops amid the hollow guitar fuzz. We move from a cool southern jam into a fever-pitched sonic assault, chugging home on ashy swill. These fuckers just set fire to everything the first nine tracks achieved. This closer has it all.

Disgust is a changeling; it's gonna sound different every time you hear it. Whether it's the choppy, stoned rhythms stealing the keys and going off the map or guitars climbing the bell tower, there's a truckload o' stickiness here. Yellowtooth take their pedigree (these guys cut their teeth in some pretty awesome bands) and chuck it from an overpass. This filthy tumbler pairs well with road sodas as you kick up gravel and take out some dickhead's mailbox with a crowbar. "Southern-fried stoner-sludge-doom"? Fuck it. It's heavy. It's bad-ass. And it's perfect when you're chasin' Beam with Busch Light.

Facebook | Myspace | Bandcamp |

Stereokiller | Buy it!

New Band To Burn One To: GORGANTHERRON

HEAVY PLANET presents...GORGANTHERRON!

BAND BIO:

In 1968, a top secret military mission launched three chimpanzees into space. The goal was to test a new vessel designed for deep space exploration. Mookie, Yim-Yim & Steve were to be the first Earth creatures to travel to the end of the known galaxy and beyond. Few expected the animals to survive, but the data collected during the voyage would be invaluable for future expeditions. On August 25, 1968 their ship launched. Sold to the media as the launch of a weather satellite, it went unnoticed. For the next four years the vessel sent flight data and vital signs of the passengers, studied by only a few scientists with the highest security clearance. On January 19, 1972 the last communication was received. The ship had reached the edge of the galaxy and the passengers were still alive. Abruptly, all communications ended. Nevertheless, the scientists used the accumulated data to develop systems that would end up in the Space Shuttle, but the mission itself was forgotten.

Then in early 2010, radio telescopes picked up an unknown object traveling at remarkable speeds. Scientists tracked it until it fell to Earth, landing in rural Indiana. The military responded and were shocked to find wreckage of the ship that had launched in 1968, still blasting an endless loop of Black Sabbath's “Master of Reality” and the first two Iron Maiden albums. However, the ship was found to be empty with no sign of the three chimps. The occurrence was swept under the rug, and scientists were left scratching their heads.

Months later three men appeared claiming to be the very same chimps from the mission. They told of traveling to the Andromeda galaxy and being captured by a race of beings far more advanced than humans...the mighty Gorgantherron. They had been monitoring human progress for centuries and were appalled at humankind's behavior toward each other and their planet. The Gorgantherron used their superior technology to evolve the chimps into stunningly handsome men. They spent years listening to Doom and Black metal. The Gorgantherron considered metal to be one of the few things the miserable humans had gotten right. The three were educated in guitar, bass, and drums, then hurled back to their home planet to warn humankind of the dire consequences of continuing their petty, selfish ways.

THOUGHTS:

"Back in December 2011, The Soda Shop introduced this outlandish three-piece Stoner/Doom band from Evansville, Indiana. Since then, the band has recently released a remarkable self-titled EP. Packed full of heavy-footed doom stomping, earth-shaking riffs, and soaring guitar solos, the band crushes all things in their way with a masterful blend of Stoner, Doom and classic metal. Standouts on this EP include "Monthra", "Assimilate" and the defining title track "Gorgantherron". Listen loud! Listen Proud! All hail Gorgantherron!"

((facebook|bandcamp))

For Chryst's Sakes-New Band To Burn One To: JESUS CHRYSTLER

The "New Band To Burn One To" today is Jesus Chrystler.

Bio:

Jesus Chrystler was formed in 2009 by a group of friends that had been in bands together for more than a decade (Blood In/Blood Out, Right Arm Death, Crosstown Rivals). With a style sounding like a Stoner/Doom metal version of a hardcore band on our debut album, "Burn in Heaven, Serve in Hell", released September 2010. With a lyrical direction encompassing cartoons, Star Wars, the Devil, and Destruction. We are moving toward a more melodic, jam, metal band with hardcore tendencies, and a focused lyrical direction.



Review:

"Indiana's Jesus Chrystler steps on the gas upon the very first note and doesn't let up. Drawing from their influences the band meshes elements of Stoner and Doom into a slow headbanging barrage of sharp punishing old school Heavy Metal. The buzzsaw crunch of the guitar rips at your flesh as the thick doomy riffs lie beneath your skin awaiting their release. The hoarse hardcore/death vocal hollers out as the slow penetrating groove intensifies. Standout tracks include :"The Pit", "With Sword and Shield" and "Like a Fiery Golden Hawk". Who am I kidding, they are all killer! Check out their Bandcamp link below to download for free or better yet the first 3 readers that contact me at heavyplanet2001@yahoo.com will win their very own copy of "Burn in Heaven, Serve in Hell".

*Sorry, contest open to U.S. residents only.

Facebook|MySpace