Zac's "Double Dose": El Camino / The Pod

El Camino: S/T EP 

This weeks Double Dose has plenty of variety for lovers of the avant-garde to the classic stoner fuzz. We'll start in Temuco, Chile with El Camino and their self-titled EP. The quartet got started some two years ago and by putting in the hard time they have independently released their debut EP, something we admire here at Heavy Planet. The sound is exactly what any stoner rock fan is looking for. Daniel's bass guitar is set to earth-shatter while the guitars [Cesar & Claudio] become tangled in a galactic battle between fuzzed out RIFF-age and flamboyant blues fret-men-ship. Something to be noted is Cesar's vocals which range from the standard stoner croon to an aggro-death style. If you're looking for some South American psychedelic stoner noise look no further than El Camino and their EP, which is streaming in its entirety at soundcloud!
 

Members: 

Anibal - Drums 

Cesar - Guitar // Vocals 

Claudio - Guitar 

Daniel - Bass

I email I soundcloud I 

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The Pod: Assassins in the Mirrored Hall 

The Double Dose has become a hot spot for one man bands recently, hasn't it?! This week's solo genius comes from the mind of Scott Endres of MAKE. As if Mr. Endres wasn't busy enough last year dropping two phenomenal records Trephine and Axis, he went and fired up his part time job, The Pod. This most recent release is entitled Assassins in the Mirrored Hall, a bold title. If you are unfamiliar, this projects core focus relies on an experimental drone foundation. The tracks are long and if you're looking for a stage show, you've came to the wrong bar. The song titles, in accord with the album name, are pretty epic as well. Naming songs like Citadel of Mirages and Reinvent the Wheel are a great way to catch this listeners eye. My favorite track Abandoned Ark sounds as though your on fire, from the loud and static cracks swirling as Scott's lonely guitar teases what is left of your sense of feeling. The track continues to build with the addition of a Nintendo era sound-loop morphing finally into a robotic drum machine. Psychedelic and disturbing. Check it out!

 

Members: 

Scott Endres

I bandcamp I facebook I twitter I

Sunday Sludge: el Camino

This week's featured Sunday Sludge artist is Swedish church-burners el Camino. Combining Sludge, Doom, and more than a pinch of Sabbath, these five Scandinavian stoners have been rocking pubs and festivals since 2008 (though the band's original incarnation formed in the winter of 02/03). Their 2011 offering, The Satanik Magiik, consists of eight muddy, despondent tracks dedicated to what the band's bio refers to as "the nameless entity, lurking in the black shadow... ready to strike." We're treated to heavy doses of evil, via el Camino's incessant prompts to "welcome the beast... kill the light."

Throughout The Satanik Magiik, the listener is greeted by slow, grinding guitar, thunderous drumwork, layered howls, and plenty of dark themes. "Prelude to the Horns" is a perfect introduction to what this album promises to deliver, as el Camino assures us "the beast is coming to your world." The wavering guitars ultimately give way to an uphill march, prepping a helpless village for impending destruction. There's a groove here, though it doesn't distract from the ominous message. The sludgy wah-wah transitions smoothly into the confidence of "Hail the Horns," where we finally hear DR (vocals) growling beside solid riffs, all hovering over a steady sludge rhythm. The track closes with grinding, puddle-slapping groove paired well with feedback fadeout.

The disc's mid-section is its strength. On "Mountain Man," DR proclaims "it's not your choice; it never really was." The guitars are layered, the sludge is groovy, and a balance is well-struck between singing and snarling. "Rise of the Snakes" is lifted, exhausted, and soaring. Slipping on a hill, barefoot, is what this song sounds like. Satanik Magiik's lyrics are strongest here, as evidenced by lines like "This world shall be known as the one that failed." Bass licks around solid groove before the song breaks itself down and gently fades.

While the band's sound is distinct, it also doesn't allow itself to be easily categorized. Balancing the rhythm section's spooky groove are hints of psychedelia, deep-sea guitar vortices, and even distant melody beyond all the mire. el Camino frequently forgo slinging birdlime to trample dry land for brief solo shreds, while the drums stay thick and oppressive. "Family Values" sounds like an unearthed Black Sabbath tune, while DR's whispers parallel Phil Anselmo's. The guitars are wonderfully repetitive and defiant, taking over as if to give the vocals time to catch a second wind. "Satanik Magiik" serves as a sludge jam, with MJ's deliberate drums complementing TP's bouncy bassline before throwing in samples of archaic Latin scripture. "Avra Kehdabra," the album's closer, makes me wish I'd never tossed my turntable. Evil backmasking dominates the track, while the aftertaste combines fuzz, Lon Chaney films, and vinyl that's been left in the back of your mom's car.

el Camino's feculent sound is never overbearing, nor is their predilection for cleaning up (with appropriate brevity) once in a while. These Swedish corruptors have crafted a great album, blending styles to form their own basement-dwelling, pentagram-carving atmosphere. "el Camino" translates to "the road," or "the way." This band got lost with the devil a long time ago, and finding their way back is the last thing they want.

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