Heavy Rotation: Horisont, Mose Giganticus, New Keepers of the Water Towers, Noctum, Stonewall Noise Orchestra

For this week's edition of Heavy Rotation I have compiled some pretty cool tunes for you to enjoy. Along with each song I have provided a few words of commentary.



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1. Horisont-"Just Ain't Right".

This track is taken off of Horisont's latest album "Tva Sidor Av Horisonten".

Yes, another Swedish 70’s inspired hard rock band! I guess Sweden ranks no. 1 in the world when it comes to this genre. Horisont picks up where Witchcraft and Graveyard laid down the cornerstones and they are out on Crusher Records who also nurses Dead Man. So if you’re a sucker for music inspired by Pentagram, Blue Cheer and what not …… and you dig denim and long haired guys this is a kick ass record. Horisont is all about blues rock and boogie with heavy riffing and long guitar solos. But also more Sabbath’ish inspiration may be heard in “The Unseen” which gives you everything from doomy atmosphere and slow riffing to beauty parts with killer vocals. Half the songs are with Swedish lyrics giving a cool feel to the songs and “Du Röde” is an ultra slow and emotional track giving you the special Swedish touch also known from a band like Svarta Pan. Killer new band!

Recommended if you dig: Witchcraft, Graveyard, Dead Man

GET IT HERE
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2. Mose Giganticus-"Demon Tusk".

This track is taken off the band's latest release "Gift Horse".

Mose Giganticus is an American synth punk / heavy metal band founded in Bensalem, Pennsylvania in 1999, and currently based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Led by songwriter, vocalist, programmer, drummer, and keyboardist Matt Garfield, the band is augmented by an array of additional musicians for live performances, including Zac Hobbs (touring guitarist), Brooks Wilson (live and studio guitarist/bassist), and Joe Smiley (live and studio guitarist). Stylistically, Mose Giganticus is most notable for the incorporation of vocoder and synthesizer into traditionally “guitar-centric” musical genres, as well as for Garfield’s prominent use of a modified Roland AX-7 keytar in their live performances. The band has released two albums with a third due out in Summer 2010 and have toured North America extensively, including the Yukon and Alaska, regions rarely visited by rock musicians.

Garfield, drummer in several Philadelphia-area hardcore punk rock bands, began the project as a solo electronic home-recording project in 1999, playing few occasional live performances. His focus on the band intensified years later, in 2005, with a significantly revamped sound rooted in hardcore punk, while still maintaining elements of electronic music.[1] This culminated in the 2006 debut full-length album, The Invisible Hand, a concept record based around humanity’s relationship with technology. Initially released on Richmond, Virginia-based Valiant Death Records, the record was followed by several US tours in 2007 with fellow electronic bands Abiku and The Emotron.

The band plays a unique brand of synth-infused progressive sludge metal.

Recommended if you dig: Howl, Black Tusk, Zoroaster

GET IT HERE
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3. New Keepers of the Water Towers- "Masterclaw". 

This track is taken off the band's 2009 release "Chronicles".

With a sound described as "a sonic Swedish collision between the heaviest of metal and the firmest of rock wrapped in lyrical themes of dwelling beasts and mythical creatures", NEW KEEPERS OF THE WATER TOWERS deliver a tightly executed mix of headiness and brawn.  The band's twin guitar attack and striking, earnest riffs create a dense, rhythmic roar assembled in such a way that each song will batter its way into your brain, heart, and memory.  The riffs are huge, the rhythms are sneaky and brutal, and the complex unison "guitarmonies" effortless, ranging from soft, almost psychedelic sections to gold-plated passages of no-nonsense headbanger frenzy.  Vocalist / guitarist Rasmus Booberg's spooky tenor, bluesy inflection and guttural roar rolls like thunder across epic songs spanning both the intense and the sublime, adding depth to an album that is bombastic and exciting from start to finish.

The band's latest release "The Calydonian Hunt" is currently available on Meteor City Records.

Recommended if you dig: Truckfighters, Asteroid, Freedom Hawk

GET IT HERE
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4. Noctum-"Mistress".

This track is taken off their latest release "The Seance".

Yet another band from Sweden pouring their soul into slabs of tasty doom rock. Combining thunderous bass lines, ferocious riffing and a vocalist eerily reminescent of Magnus Pelander from Witchcraft this band takes their cue from the many great doom bands of the seventies. This a band to watch out for.

Recommended if you dig: Pentagram, Witchfinder General, Witchcraft

GET IT HERE
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5. Stonewall Noise Orchestra-"Black Cat Bone".

This track is taken off of their most recent release "Sweet Mississippi Deal" on Transubstans Records.


Stonewall Noise Orchestra is rooted in the beautiful industrial city of Borlänge, Sweden. The band, wich consists of members from Demon Cleaner (Snicken and Jansson), Greenleaf (Jansson) and several other constellations was formed in the summer of 2004. Mr. Pillow joined the last Demon Cleaner tour and did a great job. Jonas and Lars-Inge have been around in the local rock scene for many years so it came natural to them to join the “noise orchestra”.Influenced by bands like Black Sabbath, Soundgarden and Monster Magnet they manage to deliver their own unique version of pure ground pounding rock with great vocals and melodies.


Recommended if you dig: Greenleaf, The Awesome Machine, Devil To Pay

 GET IT HERE

Swedish Sunday-Noctum

As seen on The Soda Shop.

Our next Swedish Sunday goes to a fairly newcomer to the Swedish music scene, Noctum. Noctum have been together for a little over a year. They hail from Uppsala, Uppsala län, Sverige.


Traditional doom metal from Sweden, mixing early Black Sabbath and Pentagram with 70s proto-metal influences a-la Sir Lord Baltimore and Budgie.

Recommended for fans of: Black Sabbath, Pentagram, Count Raven, Witchcraft, Sir Lord Baltimore, etc

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