Nuclear Dog's Atomic Split: Hollow Leg - "Abysmal" / Brimstone Coven - "II"

We are in the midst of an exceptional year in which an abundant and bountiful release of great music spanning the stoner/doom/psychedelic and retro/blues rock genres is suddenly available for our spiritual pleasures. Nothing in the universe deeply stirs the soul like great rock music, and this is a time of great spiritual satisfaction. Over the course of the next several days I hope to introduce to you those albums that have managed to potentiate the spiritual metal receptors of my soul in order they may do the same for you. I begin with two albums of disparate sound, made by members of not dissimilar experience, in which both have managed to create exceptional and timeless metal music.
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 HOLLOW LEG - ABYSMAL 

 For their earlier release in 2010 of "Instinct" the North Florida band Hollow Leg were the twosome of Brent Lynch on strings and vocals and Tim Creter on drums, but for their new release, "Abysmal", they have expanded their ranks to a foursome adding Tom Crowther on bass and Scott Angelecos on vocals. The result is a massive tapestry of unique and intense metal, weaving together intricate, intelligent threads that form a thoroughly mature sound that likely derives from rock sources old and new, but resounds with a fresh and gifted cacophony of their own creation, establishing a signature sound that becomes instantly recognizable while remaining fresh and exciting, delivering immense metal gratification. The guitars of Crowther, Angelecos, and Lynch are low and massive, pile driving incessantly in a major infusion of metal analgesic. Creter's drumwork is spectacular in anabolic rhythm. Perhaps the crown jewel is Angelecos' vocals, manipiulating a rough and ragged voice that thankfully falls way short of cookie cutter growling and instead is crystal clear in its ragged butcher block intensity. Add to all this the brilliant melodies that underlie the dark and gritty riff-letting and you have a contender for Top Ten of 2013, as well as a lifetime 'go to' album. The title track starts the album off by setting a deep dark metal atmosphere. There is not a step backward on any track down the line from there. All are notable. My favorites are "Ride to Ruin" and "Lord Annihilation".

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BRIMSTONE COVEN -II

This album is a metal groovefest of the highest caliber, with songs that follow no strict structural formulas for either retro or stoner sensibilities yet manage to incorporate just enough low tuned doominess and psychedelic blues vapor that the music fits nicely on the playlists of the Followers of the Fuzz. Hailing from Wheeling, West Virginia the foursome of "Big John" Williams on vocals, Corey Roth on guitar, Andrew D'Cagna on bass, and Dan Hercules on drums make up the epic and soon to be timeless rock band Brimstone Coven. They have managed to release two superb albums in the span of  eighteen months or so, adeptly carving out a special niche for their clever, soulful, and powerful music. There is no skimping on meaty, beefy bass and guitar work anywhere on the plethora of ten solid tracks as D'Cagna and Roth fire off low tuned and mesmerizing riff volleys in steady portion throughout the album, often overlaid by searing, scorching solo conjurings from Roth that permeate straight to the essence of the listener's fuzzy soul. When taking Williams' spellbinding vocal tapestries into account the bewitching nature of Brimstone Coven's music is in full effect.

The trick with modern metal of any genre is typically going to be how to manage the use of derivations from six decades of essential heaviness and still be able to form your own unique sound. Only the clever and gifted stand a chance of creating anything of significance over and above masterful execution of instrumentation. Brimstone Coven are proving to be artists of keenness, insight, and imagination. What they have put on offer with "II" is a haunting, rollicking display of deep, profound, and acutely riveting metal amalgamations.

My favorite track is "The Black Door", an entirely unique sound that casts a woolly and inescapable spell. "The Grave" brings forth dark spirits of bloody sabbaths past in a witches brew of heavy broth and searing solo chunks. The closer is mighty and fierce in musical breadth, once again conjuring spellbinding incantations of stygian riffs, deep, dark, relentless drumwork, and mesmerizing harmonies of ethereal vocals.

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Nuclear Dog's Atomic Split: Mammoth Mammoth - "Hell's Likely" / The Shooters - "Planet of the Black Sun"

From Melbourne, Australia you can find rock so big, so huge, so full of riffs and fuzz that one woolly mammoth is not enough of a comparison, so the band was named for two. There's a lot to love when you have two huge extinct creatures wielding modern nuclear weaponry in the guise of electrified musical instruments. And then, from the southwest of Spain can be found a prime example of pure rock, big, simple, and unadulterated in delivery and execution, but most importantly in enjoyment. Strap on your cuirass because we are about to do battle with the forces of heavy metal deficiency where we will certainly cure their asses with the ammunition loaded, locked, and on tap, ready to fire today.

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MAMMOTH MAMMOTH - "HELL'S LIKELY"

Band members:

Ben Couzens - Guitar
Mikey Tucker - Vocals
Frank Trobiani - Drums
Pete Bell - Bass

As stated, this foursome hails from Melbourne and have garnered a huge reputation as a live band. From all accounts these guys put everything they have into every show, leaving it all on the stage, while simultaneously leaving the audiences satisfied to their 'amped to the max' core. Not only are Mammoth Mammoth experienced in playing to audiences, "Hell's Likely" is their third studio release, beginning with a self titled EP in 2008, "Mammoth" in 2009 that included covers of Kyuss' "Green Machine" and Ted Nugent's "Stranglehold", which put Mammoth Mammoth's irrevocable mega-fuzz stamp on those two varied but familiar and loved rock standards, and now "Hell's Likely", eight original ass kickers, straight out of some Australian explosives factory where someone threw a lit butt on the ground, large explosives expanded rapidly, and Mammoth Mammoth had an album of incredible explosiveness.

The music these guys put forth is heavy and fun, heavily reminiscent of rock of the 70s and 80s, while interspersed with sounds from the fledgling underground sounds of the era that gave birth to stoner rock, the 90s. They never mimic the sound of any of their influences, but at the same time do not shy away from what they like to use when laying waste to the earth with their low tuned, high energy music.

The title track is the opener and sets the perfect tone for what's to follow. It's fast paced and laden with energetic drumwork displaying timbre and skill that only the most adept and demoniac of guitars could follow.

The fuzz is unfurled for track 2, "Go", where, again, athletic guitar work unleashes monstrous riffs, huge fills of distortion and low tuned wonderment. I love the solo on this song, unfolding in a steady and intriguing manner that takes it time and entertains mightily because of it, as opposed to just dropping a few quick, loud licks like the majority of rock songs are wont to do.

My favorite track on the album is the fourth song down, "(Up All Night) Demons to Fight", the name alone bringing an anticipatory smile. The tempo here is deliberate and forceful, quickly igniting those primal urges deep within my metal soul. This is the kind of song you go to battle with. It delivers blow after blow, riff, lick, and fill wrapped in fuzz and distortion, and punctuated with the heavy bass rhythm of Bell's relentless playing, at the same time packaged neatly with Tucker's 'fuck you, kick ass' vocals.

One of the hallmarks of Mammoth Mammoth's songs is the length they play. There's no long drawn out psych journeys here, but at the same time they don't typically get in and get out in 3 minutes or less, either. 5 plus minutes is the standard, which is a great time for fuzz filled wonderment such as the deliverance of these 8 songs.

The final track, purportedly available only on the vinyl version of the album, is "Dead Sea", a deliberate show of strength and power, that comes across as an intelligent fuzz bomb, setting off explosions at exactly the right time and in exactly the right place throughout this demonstrative show of force.

Mammoth Mammoth have delivered a gargantuan, monstrous, prodigious, leviathanic collection of stoner fuzz bombs that boil the blood at just the right temperature on "Hell's Likely". If you are new to their music use this as a jumping off point and then go backward in time to collect the remainder of their awesome collection, worthy additions to any stoner metal anthology.

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THE SHOOTERS - "PLANET OF THE BLACK SUN"

Jerez de la Frontera, Andalusia, Spain is where we go for our next cargo load of fuzz and distortion. South  of Sevilla and west of Malaga ( I wonder which team these guys root for), Jerez appears to be an idyllic town in the southwest of the country, with beautiful architecture and gorgeous scenery, it looks to be the type of place that would be hard pressed to produce a foursome able to conjure the type of energy and power to move massive boulders with the strum of a chord, the pluck of a bass string, or the strike of stick on skin, but  that's exactly what The Shooters do - create massive amounts of beautiful, monstrous sound melodicly formed into a treasure trove of stoner rock jewels.

Spanish may be what The Shooters speak, what they write, what they use to fill their Twitter and Facebook pages, but good old American is the language used on the vocals of this gigantic band of uncanny caliber and faculty. The language used by guitar is retro rock, stoner metal, good old fuzz and distortion, a language understood by millions and craved by the same.Those cravings can be assuaged with the release of "Planet of the Black Sun".

Band Members are Alex, Carlos, Danishoot, and Marcos.

Although it's not quite clear who plays what for The Shooters, in the end it doesn't matter, nor does it even matter in the beginning. We have access to their new release and all we need do is plug it in and play. Enjoyment ensues. Like their Atomic Split predecessor, The Shooters lay down ample time on their tracks to allow for full engagement, and deep enjoyment, igniting all music receptors and linking to all primal metal music urges.

"Planet of the Black Sun" kicks off with "Against the Storm", a stoner rock gem, for no other definition can suffice. The vocals are incredible on this, and every song. The guitars continually crank out distorted pleasure, while the drums surface in perfect time to the ever churning riffs, providing intrigue and conciliation. The closing section of the song lays down an intriguing display of melodic adeptness and enjoyment.

Track 2, "Satellite", does not back down from the high bar set on the first song, kicking up the tempo a notch, while simultaneously kicking up the fuzz a notch as well. How? Hell, I don't know, but it does. The song is crammed to the gills with riffs, licks, and fills during the main course. The bridge bares it down to brass tacks, though, singling out nifty single riffs and drum fills before exploding back into the main groove of the song.

"Fuel Eater" quite simply jams for 5 minutes. Not in a hurry, digging deep grooves at a mud slinging pace, it takes over your brain for a nice trip through distortion and doom, over before you realize you ever left, because the trip was pure hypnosis of low tuned wonderment.

"Fate" kicks up the tempo and the melody a bit, utilizing a full, rich tone to the low tuned guitars, undercurrented by massively heavy bass and topped with the ever present rhythm of wood on skin. There is an in and out flow to the song that mesmerizes with a tribal quality hypnotic in nature and delivery.

The Shooters are superb songwriters, definitely stamping their sound and style on each song, but never totally recreating what's already been conjured, either by them or anyone else. The changes are perhaps slight, subtle, and modest, just enough to pique interest and satisfy familiarity.

These guys work their magic on the music they play, crafting quality songs, and playing with skill and enthusiasm. This album is 9 songs of sheer stoner joy, fierce in delivery, heavy in tone, and deep in satisfaction.

On their bandcamp page you will have access to all their music, worthy of the free downloads, and inclusion into your stoner rock collection.





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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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