Quick Trip: ORANGE SUNSHINE - "HOMO ERECTUS"

A stunning blend of great late 60s, early 70s style psych-rock with heavy stoner fuzz sensibilities has been captured on this nearly 2 decade old album by Orange Sunshine. Listening to it is sort of a double deja vu by going back to the band's early days of the new century where they brilliantly captured the sound of 4 decades prior, the decades of flower power, of tripping on mind altering pharmaceuticals and mind blowing heavy rock, the decades of musical captivation and discovery.

The music on this album has an almost magical immersive quality to it, whether you lock yourself into your mancave and test the limits of your speakers, lock yourself out from your surroundings with headphones, or utilize your car's bluetooth functionality on that long roadtrip, you will quickly find that even without the help of pharmaceuticals your mind is expanding in pleasurable and exciting ways. The spells cast on this album are rendered with mystical guitar work that colorfully penetrates to a pulsing primal core, led by vocals that use that great breakout quality of rock vocalists of the era and accompanied by a superior, groovy beat of drums, and rapturously cool bass bonanza.

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Quick Hit: ATRAGON - "I, NECROMANCER."

Yesterday's post was from the far south reaches of the UK in Bournemouth. Today we fly with the raven due north for over 400 miles, shedding the robe of grunge garage fuzz along the way in order to don a cloak of dingy, heavy, black molasses soaked doom, alighting in Edinburgh, Scotland where the smoldering heat of Atragon envelope us in thick elixirs of darkness and portent.

The sophomore album from this Scottish quartet is quite simply massive. It's ambitious and fearless, delving deeply into murky and primal psychic veins of ebon metal ore. It's an all enveloping assault on the psyche of devotees of doom, borne of the dark sonic distortions of amplified axes and black batteries of bass drum, the jagged, frenetic chanting of shadow art practitioners, and the evil genius of psychic melody makers deeply entrenched into oily, obsidian enchantments.

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Quick Hit: THE ELECTRIC SHAKES - "ELECTROHYPNOSIS"

Europe gives us a TON of great underground rock bands that run the gamut of styles we lump into stoner/doom/psychedelic/desert/retro/blues rock (even the genre lump is sizeable), and the UK is no exception. The trio The Electric Shakes, out of Bournemouth, are another of an impressive group of UK fuzz monsters.

Most trios are set up as one member doing double duty as the vocalist in addition to playing an instrument, but one impressive aspect of The Electric Shakes, in addition to their awesome fucking moniker, is that each brandisher of a musical apparatus performs vocal duties as well. The more vocals the better, whether it's a sharing of song leads, furnishing backup service, or in harmony, and these guys sweep all obligations.

The music they make is infectious, rawking, and fun. It's heavy on the riff and quick on the tempo. The drums are virulent and catchy, engaging head and hips in a dance of infectious rhythm. Monstrous basswork bolsters the heaviness of tracks that otherwise rocket and zoom in gravity defying exhilaration. The guitar brings all the highlights expected of excellence and quality, with a colossal fuzz enclosure punctuated by searing, soaring solos. The songs themselves are melodic masterpieces of amalgamated rock standards with traits of punk, stoner, garage, blues, and 70s era rock. The Electric Shakes' approach to music is a brilliant combination of those great rock sounds of past and present without any direct reflection of one legend over another, which allows them to forge something exciting and new and wholly their own.

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New Band To Burn One To: COBRAJAB - "COBRAJAB"

Doom is the tenor of the day, with psychedelic bracing, stoner overtones, and profligate subterranean darkness, emanating from the capital of wholesome goodness, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Cobrajab, a foursome of visionary metalheads who, despite a 'just getting off the ground' presence online, have managed to produce and release an EP and an LP in the past two years, both of which are collections of magnificent riffage amalgamations. An unstoppable, steady force of deeply toned reverberation trudges unerringly, inexorably forward, opening pathways of psychedelic excursions of brilliance, as well as energetic bouts of stepped up fuzzery along the way, but never wavering from the melodic miasma of mighty metal machinations this band has so brilliantly conjured in their spells of doomweave. Their music is engaging, at times hypnotic, at others primal and spiritual, providing instant gratification while forging memorable long-term memory positions in the minds of DOOM aficionados.

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Album Review: Two Headed Beast - "Wizard Mountain"

The world of hard rock, of heavy metal, is wonderfully varied, so much in fact, there are distinct genre silos underneath the hard/heavy umbrella, many of them having filled up decades ago, going nearly dormant as ever newer ones are molded out of the settling dust of their predecessors. Perhaps the granddaddy genre has been the audacious, in your face sound of traditional heavy metal that grew out of progenitors such as Led Zeppelin, Blue Cheer, and Black Sabbath. That heavy metal sound was personified by bands such as Judas Priest, Megadeth, and Iron Maiden, to name a miniscule few. It was a sound that dominated the scene in the mid to late 70s and into the bulk of the 80s before sort of weirdly fusing into the over the top sounds of big hair bands. The excessiveness of big hair, though, prepped us for the wonderful grunge explosion as well as the almost unnoticed rumbling of stoner/desert rock of the 90s. Many other sounds have come, and gone. For anyone exploring for the first time any version of wondrous, amplified metal vibrations, old or new, there is an overabundance of choices. Gifted musicians can draw from an almost limitless supply of inspirational music, the possibilities are endless. This is what ran through my mind when I first heard "Wizard Mountain". Of course, I have no idea how Two Headed Beast may have arrived upon their signature sound, I just know I hear the wonderfully deep, heavy fuzz of stoner/doom rock in their vigorous riffs and searing solos, but, in the blink of a photon, I am ripped back to an earlier era as soon as those incredible vocals of Brian Allen kick in. "Wizard Mountain" quickly concentrates my focus, drawing me deep into its wicked melodies and triumphant chorus, down into the murky depths of low tuned and amplified energy, emboldened by the soaring, invigorating intonations of Allen's vocal time machine. The pairing of traditional metal vocals and bottom dark stoner/doom guitar is somehow brilliant, revitalizing, and emboldening. It's a physical reaction to a spiritual rendering, teleporting me to a time and place of power and potential.

Two Headed Beast hail from Portland, Oregon. Band members include John Hughes, Jason Dunn, Shawn Ferguson, Scott Speelman, and vocalist Brian Allen.

The initial track, "Valley of Skulls", immediately opens with the double whammy of deep, fuzzy guitar and powerfully rendered vocals that is the consistent and persistent hallmark of every track to follow. The tempo is dangerous, the magnitude bold, and the realization you're in for a unique and brilliant ride quickly sets in.

"Two Ton Sky" starts off with bare bones, building up to an all-out assault of power and force. The drumwork here is simply marvelous, pounding out a primal beat of mammoth proportions, propped up wonderfully by the bruising dance of bass and guitar, magnified again by those laser sharp vocals.

The eponymous title track, "Witch Mountain", is like a pugilist stalking his opponent, steadily moving forward step by step, delivering hammer blow after ruthless hammer blow until the sudden sound of silence signals the end.

"Apollyon the Destroyer" changes the pace, flowing down a psychedelic bridge of color and static before charging up a steeper trajectory of power and amperage. "Hail the Chief" is a frontal assault of bad attitude and snarl. "Boneyard" and "Blackball' pay homage to traditional metal in measured advances of ragged vocals and steady riffage.

This brings us to the unofficial closer, "Curse of the White Owl" where Two Headed Beast dust off their stoner rock foot pedals and crank up the fuzz in a magnificent display of hook and heat. The solos soar beyond the stratosphere, while the measured tempos of riff and stick are darkly subterranean. Allen's vocals are exquisite on this track, offering a sing along rendition in which no one can match his gifted ability, but will have fun in attempting to do so.

Two Headed Beast offer up a brief coda that is pinned to the tail end of the penultimate song in "Tail of the Owl", a fun little ditty of psychedelic conclusion.

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ALBUM REVIEW: FALL OF AN EMPIRE - "CROWEATER: AN ECHO IN THE BONE"

South Carolina's Fall of an Empire had arguably one of the best releases of 2014 with their debut album Songs of Steel and Sorrow, named by HeavyPlanet's own Reg as a top ten album for that year. Now they're back with a follow up album, Croweater: An Echo in the Bone. How does this 6 track EP stack up to their gargantuan debut? One spin through is enough to let you know this purple covered jewel exceeds any eager expectations. So well crafted, well constructed, and keenly delivered is the music on this six song presentation it is not beyond the realm of possibility it will become an album for the ages, a metal standard to be enjoyed through time and generations to come.

Each song is an exquisite blend of melody, craft, and fuzz, delivered with high handed skill of the most accomplished songsmiths while brandishing the heart of the hungry tyro. The weaving of syrupy rich solos, gritty riffs, crackerjack rhythm, and exuberant drumwork is exquisitely framed by the magnificent vocals of frontman Kenny Lawrence whose voice is a beacon of rock clarity seldom matched in a sea of thousands of gargling mediocrities.

Band members include:
Brent Carroll - Guitar/Vocals
Shane Smith - Bass
Cody Edens - Guitar
Brad Munoz - Drums
Kenny Lawrence - Lead Vocals

Fall of an Empire's style, if you will, is one of evocative, haunting ballads of deep, rich texture, amplified thrills, gargantuan twin guitars, and leviathan bass and drums trolling along a rumbling underworld of deafening darkness. No song exemplifies this more than the title track "Croweater". The standout song of the album, perhaps, is "Uprising", a relentless pummeling of sound and turbulence whose inexorable vibrations quickly sync to a primal core of sonority. Each song is an adventure of deep stirring with payoff in excess as heart, guile, and finesse deliver a trove of music treasure.

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Song of the Day-Blacksmith-"Smoke Wizard"

"Smoke Wizard" is taken off of the band's self-titled debut release. This song is the perfect lead track to an album filled awesome 70's inspired classic metal meets 80's power metal. Throw in some NWOBHM, high-octave vocals, sing along choruses and a bevy of red hot guitar soloing and you have one hell of a debut. Very promising. For more information regarding the band and this release, please check out the following links: Facebook | Bandcamp

Song of the Day-Heritage-"The Wrong Side of Hell"

"The Wrong Side of Hell" is taken off of the band's latest full-length release "Law". Amazing, powerful and chugging stoner rock riffs with an eighties power metal mentality and a little sleaze thrown in for good measure. Not something you would expect, but the band pulls it off with tremendous precision and skill. I love the gritty and aggressive vocal delivery, Imagine Bang Tango, Savatage and Orange Goblin meeting up in a dark alley for a raging fist fight. For more information, please check out the following links: Facebook | Bandcamp | Website

Song of the Day-Blackwülf-"The Locust"

"The Locust" is taken off of the upcoming release "Oblivion Cycle" due out December 11, 2015 on Ripple Music. If you missed out on Blackwülf the first time around, shame on you for six months. Well, the band is back with a new song and it rocks. From the onset, this song slays with it's ear-grabbing riff, thunderous drums, mighty vocal delivery and classic metal bravado. For more information, please check out the following links: Facebook | Bandcamp

J. THORN Publishes Video Magazine for Fans of Horror and Heavy Metal

Today, Heavy Planet writer and friend J.Thorn announces the launching of Dark Arts Theater Volume 1, a video magazine dedicated to horror, dark fantasy, heavy metal and hard rock. A veteran of the heavy metal scene and an Amazon Top 100 Most Popular Author in Horror, Thorn brought together the two art forms he has been so passionate about for more than 30 years.

“I’ve been attracted to dark art since I was ten years old,” says Thorn. “Listening to Black Sabbath while reading Stephen King became part of my life as a teenager and something I still do today. Having been in a heavy band and now writing horror novels, I feel like I can present the best of both worlds to people who are as fanatic about this stuff as I am.”

Dark Arts Theater Volume 1 consists of ten 30-40 minute issues. The show is available free of charge on YouTube (video), iTunes (audio) and via a dedicated website at http://darkartstheater.com. Thorn is currently working on Dark Arts Theater Volume 2, due out by the end of 2015. In addition, he will be releasing weekly “Top Three” videos on topics related to heavy metal and horror.

For more information and free access to all of the issues, visit http://darkartstheater.com.

New Band To Burn One To: Blackwülf

Heavy Planet presents...Blackwülf

Heavy on the heavy, doomy on the riffing, this vintage metal band from Oakland, CA has hit the nail on the proverbial head. Blackwülf  is comprised of Alex Cunningham (Vocals), Pete Holmes (Guitar), Dave Pankenier (Drums), and Scott Peterson (Bass). As I placed this red vinyl beauty onto my turntable. I gleamed with enthusiasm. The band's debut release "Mind Traveler" was all that I had hoped for. The record is filled to the brim with fist pumping metal anthems, head-banging rhythms and a clean impassioned vocal. A hint at late-eighties to early nineties doom can be heard throughout. Permeating into the doominess is a keen sense of melody that is interspersed with the album's hint at psychedelia.
This is meat and potatoes metal people. Dig in!



Favorite tracks: Royal Pine, Thunderwitch

Beer Pairing: Magic Hat Howl

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LP Review - "Oceans Into Ashes" by Maeth

Maeth are different. Very different are Maeth. They sound like themselves although if a category they must be placed then it'd be post metal, sludge, doom, progressive, heavy metal, ambient, drone and psychedelic etc; for they are all those sounds plus more and often all at once. My jaw rested firmly on the floor while I sat bolt upright staring in a wild gaze at something, I don't recall what, while this incredible noise oozed into my ears and left me feeling cleansing waves of vibration surging up and down my spine.

Maeth follow their brilliant debut "Horse Funeral" with a masterpiece of experimental metal that, if you appreciate such infinite potential metal explorations, will leave you as stunned as I am at what I'm hearing, for the third time today. What Maeth have created with this album is immense in its variety and it contains everything I like to hear all blended together like a master artist does with paint, palate, brush, canvas and easel. "Oceans Into Ashes" is a veritable feast of sound with each metal morsel being as equally sumptuous as the last.

It opens with the 2.5 minute "Prayer" with seagulls, a small motorboat that passes by and gently soothing acoustic guitars that drift into electronic take-off's and then we're taken straight into the triumphant post rock and metalisms of "The Sea In Winter" which hints just a little at the journey that lays ahead.

Then comes "Nomad" which for me was 10 minutes 50 seconds of sheer amazement. This track has everything and everything is played so well and sounds so good that I had some kind of auditory orgasm.
It opens with a feedback drone that leads to soul stirring guitar twangs and a phasing electronic buzz until a bash of snares launches the track into double fist raising metal surges and hugely satisfying post rock finger work. Things suddenly twist into a weird almost prog sludge that boarders on math metal until it morphs into crusty sludge in the style of Downfall of Gaia, Monachus and Fall of Efrafa. Thunderous tribal drums then lead to drifting drones and chaotic and mystical tribal pipes that build an uncomfortable tension towards jagged rhythm'd post metal and eventual heavily crushing doom that ends in pleasant guitar soothings. Phew!

What follows then is an epic journey that will leave you all starry eyed and full of wonder at how life enhancing our united musical preferences are and Maeth celebrate this with an album packed full of the most pleasing of metal in all its many morphing forms. I would only be doing Maeth and this album a disservice if I were to review each track in turn so I urge any that read this to delve into Maeth and be ready for explorations in metal that will leave you stunned. If not then you're not paying attention. "Oceans Into Ashes" is a long album at 11 tracks with 6 of them running close to or over 10 minutes each but at no moment did I lose interest at all in the 3 sittings I have had with it so far today.

This album will definitely be on my best of the year list.

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EP Review - "Euphoric Curse" by Witch Charmer

Witch Charmer are a female fronted stoner metal/trad doom pentangle from sunny Sunderland, UK who have recently released their debut EP "Euphoric Curse" which conjures up 4 incantations of impressively evoked stoner metal pulled right from the doom rock grimoire of riff magick. Witch Charmer could be the UK's equivalent to Blood Ceremony, minus the organs and flutes; but they have their own very British aura which had me thinking about old Hammer horror movies and such like from the late 60's and 70's. Movies like the classic British folk or "pagan" horror The Blood on Satan's Claw, which this EP would make the perfect soundtrack to. In fact I listened to the EP while watching clips from the movie on Youtube and it fitted perfectly. In my admittedly slightly inebriated and prone to flights of fancy mind it did anyway.

The EP opener of "Worlds Burning (Inside the Fire)" brings thudding drums and a throbbing bass that leads to revolving heavy metal guitar chugs and the crystalline vocals of Witch Charmer's priestess backed with the rough roars and growls from an accompanying man-dude which blend and wrap together so well that the contrast is strangely crushing and at the same time very soothing to the ears. From the chunky metal chugs and bendy stoner riffs the song effortlessly transitions into some old timey doom with the spine tingling vocals of the priestess luring you into the final section and its satisfying and fist raising stoner rock work out.

"Born a Slave" follows with a baggy fuzzed out riff and divinely sung words with bluesy Wah licks that drop down into some great stoner rock riffwork and then, building from a snare roll the song launches into a storming ocean of righteous and determined heavy metal with the gruff and dirty vocals of the male singer taking the forefront. The pace then slows to a sleazy guitar and Wah slaying and crushing drums taking this track into a full on filth bag of feedback and collapsing crushing drum hits leaving only the soft plucks of a bass to see this track out.

"Waiting for a Call" wastes no time in launching right into down tuned heavy and crunchy stoner riffs with the clean voice of the lead singer adding a pleasing contrast to the fuzzy dirt of the heavy guitars and drums with the gruff voice of the male singer adding an extra weight of stoner metal to the track later on. The song ends abruptly in a tumble of drums and a "thank you and good night" conclusion but fear not as Witch Charmer have one more heavy metal incantation for us.

With the low down and fuzzy bass opening of "Sleeping Dystopia", an explosion of heavy stoner rock riffs and driving drums has the 2 singers take it in turns to express a discontent that the "fucking system's bent". I like the cut of their jib as their sentiments are sound and undeniable so listen intently to the lyrics as there is truth and wisdom contained within. The track evolves from big stoner metal riff worship to soul crushing doom with bluesy licks and then to positive and spirit raising heavy metal that shines a ray of hope on what looks on the surface to be a hopeless situation.

I thoroughly enjoyed this debut EP from Witch Charmer, especially while watching clips on Youtube of old British horror movies and listening carefully to the interesting and wonderfully sung lyrics of the lead singer. With the contrast of rough male vocals, the solid stoner metal riffwork, the crushing retro doom vibes and euphoric moments of heavy metal; Witch Charmer are a band that deserve to be noticed by everyone who loves heavy music.

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LP Review: Bloodbath by Vestal Claret

Vestal Claret have just released their first proper full length CD, Bloodbath, on Nine Records. For the uninitiated, Vestal Claret (VC) play a tradtional style of doom with heavy occult influences. They sound like those second wave of doom bands (Candlemass and St. Vitus) and VC proudly flies the dark flag of these beloved bands, proudly stating on their label's web page that "there is no influence or inspiration from anything of the past 2 decades that provoked this release or it's ideas and concepts".
So that said, let's dive into some of the tunes on this album.

The album kicks off with a nearly nine and a half minute track, Hex of Harm, which offers up nearly two minutes of moody guitar until a stuttering guitar riff rattles your puny brainy in its candy shell. And don't look to the vocals for relief, here you get traditional doom vocal stylings with lyrics like "Suffer them as they may live/And if by chance they should die/Torment theirs souls in simple rhyme".  Seven minutes into the track the solos start, and they dance in flame and brimstone, while you nod and tap your cloven hoof.

Next up is Devil's Daughters, a short track by doom standards, that boasts vocals which sound more than a lil' like vocalist emeritus of the doom genre, Ozzy. And don't think this is meant to call the tune derivative. It ain't. Keep your ears peeled towards the end of this one for a drum break down with solo to follow. Oh yeah.

The Correlation starts like with drums a bangin' and somehow manges to work the lyrics "Malevolent the illuminist/Nepharious in secret society" into the tune. Say it aloud, then imagine how in the hell it could be sung. With all those syllables, the lines could have come off alien or forced, all credit to vocalist Philip Swanson.

And there's more. There is over seventy minutes of slow doom and gloom on this album. Fans of the genre will welcome this collection of straight up solid interpreation of classic doom. Doomheads! I command you to crawl from your dungeons and check this one out.

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Nuclear Dog's Atomic Split: Dark Valley Harvesters - "Seed" / Crag Dweller - "Magic Dust" / Utah - "Utah"

It's Saturday. Quite likely it's been a long unpleasant week at work, at home, at Earth. It's put you in a mood, foul, fetid, and way too familiar. Besides alcohol, weed, or that last pain killer from outpatient surgery a few weeks back, you need something to tackle that mood, to take it and smash it a few dozen times against a concrete wall, to slay it for the sake of sanity. Often, in times like this, you turn to old reliable songs, albums, bands to lighten the mood. Stuff you know you love. But what you really need is a heavy, overwhelming dose of just kick hairy butt metal music. I've got what you need right here. Three new bands, three new albums, plenty of awesome music, so even if you don't necessarily jibe with one or the other of them, chances are there is something here that will hit the sweet spot and spread the warmth, just at the point all your other tools are doing the same. We stay strictly American today, starting off in Yukon, Oklahoma with some big, hairy, heavy metal with a country edge to it. We jet on up to Portland, Oregon for some kick ass rock n' roll before cruising all the way back to Athens, Georgia for heavy psych tripping in dark, murky, and deep metal. The one common thread between these bands besides being American is the size of the instruments they employ. Huge and heavy, mood swinging muthas meant to meliorate the murky mass of megashit accumulated throughout the week in a single riff or searing solo, opening up the pathways through which the invigorating measures of these metal prescriptions can begin to vanquish their vile existence.

In other words, metal is the relief of pure pleasure and enjoyment. Heavy Planet delivers a huge dose to you today.

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DARK VALLEY HARVESTERS - "SEED"

Band members:

Patrick Newkirk - Guitar and Vocals
Mike Newkirk - Bass
Jimmy Mollet - Drums
Joe Davis - Guitar

Just because Dark Valley Harvesters are from Yukon, Oklahoma doesn't mean they were always going to have a little bit of country flavor to their music. I mean, hell, The Flaming Lips are from down I-40 just a few miles and there ain't no country in their flavor. It was only when Patrick, Mike and Jimmy added Joe to the mix did the haunting quality of country ballads find its way into the music of this heavy foursome. It's not an overwhelming trait, but perfectly complementary, adding a unique and enjoyable flavor to their music. The primary and majority style of the music on "Seed" is heavy guitar, ass kicking metal. There's more 70s retro, Northwest grunge, and High Desert fuzz in there than anything Garth Brooks, also from Yukon, would recognize. And that's a damn good thing in my opinion because they've crafted a beautiful, compelling sound that wouldn't be as worthwhile without the high quality elements contributed by all four of these gifted, talented rockers.

The music is muscularly anchored by Mollet's drums, and driven relentlessly by Mike's bass. Melody is plentiful on these songs, proving Dark Valley Harvesters are able songwriters, which feels like their typical starting point on most songs given the quality of the music. They waste no time in proving your investment in them is going to be worthwhile as the tempo is quick, sharp, and enjoyable on the opening track "Dirty Red Blood". Riffs are plentiful and huge throughout, as well as the searing, soaring solos.

"Hook Echo" is a beautiful example of how a haunting, almost mournful tone can quickly segue into something darker, harder, and more sinister by use of elbow grease applied to huge metal guitar strings tuned low for perfect effect.

One of the most beautiful and enjoyable songs on "Seed" is "Wither and Fade", while "Bottle and a Rusty Blade" is a civil war era ballad that substitutes the heavy metal of the balls flying in all directions during battle with the heavy metal of Patrick and Joe's perfectly matched guitars. "Scarecrow" uses emotion to great effect accompanying the heavy strings and relentless stickwork.

Perhaps the best song on the album is "Maginot Line", a fast tempoed, ass kicker laden with hooks and fills to accompany the barbed wire riffs and nut cutter solos. The closer, "Fire and Brimstone" is a close competitor, though, with the same 'jab - jab - hook' tempo as its predecessor and cranking out the fuzziest guitar twang to be found in all the South.





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CRAG DWELLER - "MAGIC DUST"

Band Members:

Richard Vivarelli - Guitar, Vocals
Clifton Martin - Bass, Vocals
Travis Clow - Drums

There isn't much to know about Crag Dweller. They're from Portland, Oregon. They're a three piece band. They play GREAT retro/metal/stoner rock music. This stuff is straight up hard rock, the kind you like the more you listen. The kind where something new, something that is pure enjoyment is discovered years down the road when you find yourself still playing it.

"Chrononaut" kicks everything off, not with a bang, but with an interestingly drawn out intro that suddenly kicks into Crag Dweller gear, and away we go. Riffs, fills, solos, big drums, huge bass, hooks, great rock vocals all go into high gear at the same time. Hell, there just isn't much to say. Crank it up, kick back, and enfuckingjoy.

"So Far, So Good, So What . . . " starts out in fourth gear, slows down for a minute before then kicking into overdrive. Be careful leaning out the window on this one you might lose an ear.

Interplay between bass and solo guitar on the opening of "The Gate" is incredible. I would love to see this one live.

The strength and dexterity of the drums can't be overlooked on this album, and perhaps it's never more obvious than on "Gotta Have It" where the rhythm is crystal clear, primal, and pure.

The closer is "Motel Burnout" where perhaps the bandmembers are feeling a little bit of the effects of being on the road for an extended tour. Crag Dweller throw everything at this one, especially a huge well of pent up energy and emotion. You can just feel them giving those instruments all they got, leaving nothing left on the studio floor. It's huge, it's powerful, and it's a heckuva way to close an album.






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UTAH - "UTAH"

Band members:

Wil Smith - Guitar, Vocals
Chris Parry - Bass
Chris Holcombe - Drums
John McNeece - Guitar, Vocals

Utah hails from Athens, Georgia, a town you could say is fairly rich in rock n' roll history. These guys are destined to join the ranks of the best and heaviest Athens has ever had to offer.

This foursome play a deliciously heavy brand of psychedelic sludge, with a pace that is rarely hurried, chock full of low tuned guitars that come down on you like a pallet of amps dropped from the eleventh floor of the Holman Hotel in Athens.

"Bisontennial" has tempo, it has a junkyard full of scratchy, edgy metal, all of it sunk low in the mud of eons past, sounding as though its being drudged up under communication of the loud, clear vocals bandied about by Smith and McNeece, and with the relentless rhythm and power of Holcombe's drums, powerful enough to be almost front and center throughout.

Tempo again starts off "Chickamauga", Holcombe again driving everyone relentlessly forward, Smith and McNeese again laying heavy into the riffs and vocals, while Parry deals with everything subterranean. Utah know what they do well, and they do it well again, doubling the pleasure of the slow, cold slide through the muck and sludge of their metal morass.

On "Ambian" the mushrooms have started to kick in and the song is . . . not necessarily more mellow, because with these guitars, and these vocals, and those huge knockers for drums, there is no mellow . . . but perhaps more evenly tempered. "Help" continues the subterranean, low tuned trip, as does "Kneecaps", all of which drag gargantuan guitars through sludge of dark and murky muck.

"Traveler" changes the tone slightly, with a single vocal kicking things off, unhurried but insistent, relating tales of the netherworld, experiences encountered perhaps where light is dim and sound is all powerful.

"Cryogenics" and "Black Sandwich" close out the adventure with a deft delivery of heavy and huge sound interspersed with bits of light and air wafting down through pinholes of illumination from above.





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New Band To Burn One To: HUMAN JAIL

Heavy Planet presents today's "New Band To Burn One To"...HUMAN JAIL!

Band Bio:

Human Jail hail from Lille, France. Formed in 2009, their sound is a culmination of stoner, southern rock and powerful metal. With a powerful voice and rythm section, they bring punchy rock'n'roll with tinted guitar riffs. While touring in France, the band shared the stage with other artists such as Karma to Burn (US), City of Ships 5fr), Zuul Fx (fr) and Headcharger (Fr). During their first European tour, organized for the release o ftheir first EP, "First Step to Breakout" released in April 2010.

The band began production of their first full length album, "the Soul Allegory". Recording started in February 2011 at C&P Studio (Sequedin, France, 59), with an album release planned for december 2011. Human Jail is eagerly working toward the album release, featuring mastering by Howie Weinberg, as well as a second tour in 2012. the band is celebrating their recent partnership with Damon Moreno of US based Inner Light Agency for full managerial representation. See Human jail now and see what everyone is talking about !



Thoughts:

"With a killer groove, gravel-fed vocals and a southern metal swagger, France's Human Jail put their heel on your throat and don't let up. Along with a punching, jagged and down right move-your-ass rhythm, Human Jail's latest release "The Soul Allegory" is filled with catchy and powerful tracks. The guitars shriek and squeal with slithering riffs and shredding solos as the howling vocals bark at you with reckless abandon. On a few of the tracks, you are greeted with acoustic passages similar in sound to Tantric (trust me, that is all that these two bands have in common) introducing what will eventually be a total domination of your ear drums. If you dig that good ole' southern metal sound a la Black Label Society, then check out Human Jail today! Grab a fifth of Jack and crank this muther up!"

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Black Sabbath-Gods Of Doom

There is no secret that my favorite band of all-time is Black Sabbath. Recently, I took the time to pay tribute to the band by writing a lens about them on Squidoo. It details the history of the band from the Ozzy years to their current Heaven & Hell lineup. I will continue to add more to it as it is a work in progress. I hope you enjoy it.


Black Sabbath-The Most Influential Heavy Metal Band Of All-Time

Black Sabbath is my favorite band of all-time, and this lens is my personal tribute to them. On this lens I will provide a history of the band from the early days to their current lineup as well as news, videos, and other cool things Black Sabbath. Black Sabbath has influenced everyone from The Smashing Pumpkins to Pantera. They can also be credited for laying the groundwork for the Stoner Rock, Doom Metal, Gothic Metal and Sludge Metal genres. Lamb of God's Chris Adler said: "If anybody who plays heavy metal says that they weren't influenced by Black Sabbath's music, then I think that they're lying to you. I think all heavy metal music was, in some way, influenced by what Black Sabbath did." Therefore, in my opinion, Black Sabbath is heavy metal, period. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. (Read more...)

A Heavy Metal Salute to Heavy Metal Band Name Origins

Ever wonder how or why your favorite band is named what it is? This dude named Blair Gibson just released a book titled "A Heavy Metal Salute to Heavy Metal Band Name Origins". The book has 542 bands ranging from Black Metal to Stoner Rock. The author contacted each band through their MySpace and other personal websites to get each band name's origin. Here is page 1 from the book:

"13TH FLOOR EVELATORS

The 13th Floor Elevators were a combination of two groups from Texas, the Lingsmen and the Spades. The name was chosen as a result of an attempt on the part of Tommy Hall, who played electric jug and wrote most of the lyrics, to project the idea of "Christ consciousness" and a higher level of awareness. There is also an Eastern religion reference such as Buddhism for enlightenment and finally the Masonic pyramid includes 13 levels on the reverse of the U.S. one dollar. Also, buildings in the U.S. do not include a 13th floor which implies a level yet to be defined or that does not yet exist. Danny Thomas

18 SPEED TRANNY

At the time, we were called Mind Charger but we were not content with that. We were in Toronto to do a show at Club 360, and we got in a day early. A woman named Deanna who we had been in contact with through her website stonerrockchick.com, had offered to show us around town. She took us to a bar called the Bovine Sex Club to see some punk bands. At the club we noticed this huge muscle bound woman/man, we weren't sure because it was dressed like a woman, but we started messing with our bass player, saying stuff like "it's checking you out man" and "it digs you" you know, just fucking around. Anyway, back at the hotel when we were all fucked up, and high, the subject of that chick/dude came up again, and our bass player who at the time had a job moving heavy equipment with a semi, had blurted out in broken English (he's Polish) something about that chick/dude at the bar being an 18 Speed Tranny, and we almost pissed ourselves laughing. We thought it had a ring to it, so we made it our name. Ken

3 INCHES OF BLOOD

One of the band member's brothers cut himself and exaggerated the story in regards to how much blood there was. Someone heard him say “three inches of blood,” and thought it be a good band name.

35007

35007 was first called A Loose Conspiracy, a loose group of people making loose music. The band was simply called Loose and if you read that upside down, it spells 35007. Sander"

To read more, you can purchase a print copy or download the e-book by following this link.

A very interesting read.