Well, I never thought I would do this, but I broke down and finally did it. Heavy Planet is now on Facebook.
In my attempt to provide as much Stoner Rock/Doom/Sludge, etc. as possible, I will be posting a ton more bands to Heavy Planet as well as Facebook. If I hear a new band that catches my ear I will probably just post it to Facebook. Any band that sends me their stuff will appear on the "New Band To Burn One To" feature. I don't want you to feel like you will be getting ripped off. Also, right now there is at least a month waiting list to getting posted so just be patient we will get to your band (special thanks to Bill from The Soda Shop for helping out with this feature). You may see multiple "New Band To Burn One To" postings on any given day as Bill will be doing some as will I. Once again, if anyone is interested in doing CD reviews don't hestitate to send me an e-mail. You will not be compensated, but you will receive promos and/or digital links for reviewing purposes. Yep, believe it or not, I am for the most part a one man operation with the occasional help from Bill. So, I really would appreciate whatever help you could give me. Thank you!
Facebook/Contact
Showing posts with label reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reviews. Show all posts
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Saturday, April 18, 2009
New Band To Burn One To-Locrian
From the heart of Chicago, Illinois comes an awesome band for you guys to check out. Since their inception in late 2005, Locrian have been honing their sound; working and re-working material; finding the right blend of noise, power electronics, dark ambient, and black metal to work into their sound. Drenched Lands is Locrian's first full-length studio recording of all new material, and unfolds with an almost narrative structure. It starts with a slow descent into a dark abyss, moving torturedly, gradually rediscovering the light, then leaving you where everything began - completely transformed. The hour-long disc is rounded out by an extended bonus track previously unavailable in any digital format. The black-on-black disc is packaged in an arigato pack with a 4-panel insert. Limeted Edition of only 1000 copies. Co-released by At War With False Noise.
Reviews:
"Almost disturbingly prolific, this is the latest (though that might change by the time you read this) disc from this noise/drone/metal duo. While they have been cranking the releases out in their relatively short career, they have at least been consistent with the quality of their releases, and Drenched Lands, for all its metal look and presentation, is one of the more subtle releases I have yet to hear.
At War With False Noise/Small Doses
The opening track, "Obsolete Elegy in Effluvia and Dross," sounds like it could be some black metal track, replete with battle axes, corpse paint, and scrawny Nordic men posing in the snow, but instead it starts with simple, clear guitar strumming that is allowed to breathe, with only a subtle underpinning of synth hums, which is a lot more pure and open than a lot of their backcatalogue.
This is pretty much the lightest moment here, the next one, "Ghost Repeater," leads off with a buzzing amplifier and subtle guitar scrapes. High frequency pings start to come in, giving a very rhythmic, but natural sense of minimalism. Towards the second half of its lengthy duration, an anemic guitar squall comes in to push the treble levels even higher. Unfortunately the mix mostly neglects the lower end of the sonic spectrum, and would benefit more from a bit of bass added.
The brittle mix continues into "Barren Temple Obscured By Contaminated Fogs," but is more of an asset. The bits of clear guitar and digital organ sound better skewed this way, and the screamed metal vocals and white noise sound a bit more like a lo-fi Sunn O))), but more experimental and less metal. This contrasts the more bassy "Epicedium" that showcases guitar and some ambient tones, a more open work that, once the taut guitar playing kicks in towards the second half, has the structure and tension of a great film soundtrack.
"Obsolete Elegy in Cast Concrete" brings back the pained vocals that do sound very black metal, but are contrasted with the distant electronic bells and more airy synths, where even the chugging metal riffs keep it away from boring and clichéd metal territory. The disc ends with the 30-plus minute "Greyfield Shrines," which is the same live recording I reviewed in its original LP form. While it loses some of its charm as a bonus track rather than a heavy slab of vinyl, it still is a strong and well composed piece of live material.
I must say I’m a bit nervous since each release I’ve heard from this project is managing to be somewhat different, yet still consistent with the overall vibe of the band, and have not lost any bit of quality. Any time I see this frequency of music being released, I anticipate boredom to set in, but it has yet to happen with Locrian." (Creaig Dunton, Brainwashed.com)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
"With a cover that wouldn’t look out of place on a Corrupted record, one could be mistaken for thinking that this record is going to fall into the heavier, riff driven end of doom-metal, when infact it manages to teeter more on its fringes. Locrian is an altogether more majestic and ethereal beast than perhaps their visual aesthetic would suggest and while Drenched Lands is a record that is primarily driven by audial manipulations and dronescapes it also has a more sinister edge to it.
Someone once wrote of Nadja that they were like doom-metals’ awkward, poetry writing cousin. The same too is true of Locrian only they are clearly more influenced by Aleister Crowley and have a penchant for flirting with the occult, given the blackened vocals, darker electronics and harrowing atmospheres within their loop driven gloom. Musically Locrian feel like the desolation of Halo Manash combined with the vibrant, uplifting play-throughs of Keith Fullerton Whitman or Area C. Dark chainsaw esque guitars are overlaid with open, light melodies in a juxtaposition of light and dark that at times culminates in overdriven sound devastation, while creating a smooth soundscape at others. Vocals are interestingly interspersed amongst the flow of the drone and seem to take more of a backseat to the music in the sense that they seem to sit behind it, although never become lost. The variety in this album is excellent especially given that it is mainly guitar/synth drone which can, without innovation be a limiting genre. Those types of people who enjoy artists such as Halo Manash, Area C, KFW, Greg Davis, darker Nadja and probably even Black/White era sunn O))) will undoubtedly be into this record.
‘Drenched Lands’ is an interesting record in many ways, not least because it is the coming together of two great DIY labels in the form of Small Doses (USA) and At War With False Noise (Scotland) but also because - given the chance - it will engross you in a sea of awesome drones and harrowing blackness." (Chris Naughton, Gradiations Of Morbidity)
MySpace
Discogs
At War With False Noise
Reviews:
"Almost disturbingly prolific, this is the latest (though that might change by the time you read this) disc from this noise/drone/metal duo. While they have been cranking the releases out in their relatively short career, they have at least been consistent with the quality of their releases, and Drenched Lands, for all its metal look and presentation, is one of the more subtle releases I have yet to hear.
At War With False Noise/Small Doses
The opening track, "Obsolete Elegy in Effluvia and Dross," sounds like it could be some black metal track, replete with battle axes, corpse paint, and scrawny Nordic men posing in the snow, but instead it starts with simple, clear guitar strumming that is allowed to breathe, with only a subtle underpinning of synth hums, which is a lot more pure and open than a lot of their backcatalogue.
This is pretty much the lightest moment here, the next one, "Ghost Repeater," leads off with a buzzing amplifier and subtle guitar scrapes. High frequency pings start to come in, giving a very rhythmic, but natural sense of minimalism. Towards the second half of its lengthy duration, an anemic guitar squall comes in to push the treble levels even higher. Unfortunately the mix mostly neglects the lower end of the sonic spectrum, and would benefit more from a bit of bass added.
The brittle mix continues into "Barren Temple Obscured By Contaminated Fogs," but is more of an asset. The bits of clear guitar and digital organ sound better skewed this way, and the screamed metal vocals and white noise sound a bit more like a lo-fi Sunn O))), but more experimental and less metal. This contrasts the more bassy "Epicedium" that showcases guitar and some ambient tones, a more open work that, once the taut guitar playing kicks in towards the second half, has the structure and tension of a great film soundtrack.
"Obsolete Elegy in Cast Concrete" brings back the pained vocals that do sound very black metal, but are contrasted with the distant electronic bells and more airy synths, where even the chugging metal riffs keep it away from boring and clichéd metal territory. The disc ends with the 30-plus minute "Greyfield Shrines," which is the same live recording I reviewed in its original LP form. While it loses some of its charm as a bonus track rather than a heavy slab of vinyl, it still is a strong and well composed piece of live material.
I must say I’m a bit nervous since each release I’ve heard from this project is managing to be somewhat different, yet still consistent with the overall vibe of the band, and have not lost any bit of quality. Any time I see this frequency of music being released, I anticipate boredom to set in, but it has yet to happen with Locrian." (Creaig Dunton, Brainwashed.com)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
"With a cover that wouldn’t look out of place on a Corrupted record, one could be mistaken for thinking that this record is going to fall into the heavier, riff driven end of doom-metal, when infact it manages to teeter more on its fringes. Locrian is an altogether more majestic and ethereal beast than perhaps their visual aesthetic would suggest and while Drenched Lands is a record that is primarily driven by audial manipulations and dronescapes it also has a more sinister edge to it.
Someone once wrote of Nadja that they were like doom-metals’ awkward, poetry writing cousin. The same too is true of Locrian only they are clearly more influenced by Aleister Crowley and have a penchant for flirting with the occult, given the blackened vocals, darker electronics and harrowing atmospheres within their loop driven gloom. Musically Locrian feel like the desolation of Halo Manash combined with the vibrant, uplifting play-throughs of Keith Fullerton Whitman or Area C. Dark chainsaw esque guitars are overlaid with open, light melodies in a juxtaposition of light and dark that at times culminates in overdriven sound devastation, while creating a smooth soundscape at others. Vocals are interestingly interspersed amongst the flow of the drone and seem to take more of a backseat to the music in the sense that they seem to sit behind it, although never become lost. The variety in this album is excellent especially given that it is mainly guitar/synth drone which can, without innovation be a limiting genre. Those types of people who enjoy artists such as Halo Manash, Area C, KFW, Greg Davis, darker Nadja and probably even Black/White era sunn O))) will undoubtedly be into this record.
‘Drenched Lands’ is an interesting record in many ways, not least because it is the coming together of two great DIY labels in the form of Small Doses (USA) and At War With False Noise (Scotland) but also because - given the chance - it will engross you in a sea of awesome drones and harrowing blackness." (Chris Naughton, Gradiations Of Morbidity)
MySpace
Discogs
At War With False Noise
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Album Of The Day-Milligram-"This Is Class War" (2003)
The Album Of The Day is "This Is Class War" by Milligram.
Review:
From the album title, one might expect some political punk rabble-rousing in the manner of Jello Biafra's Alternative Tentacles label. Instead, Milligram's debut album (originally titled "Death to America," until a skittish post-9/11 label changed it to something less incendiary) pitches itself somewhere between the insular stoner rock of Queens of the Stone Age, Kyuss, or even the much poppier Built to Spill and the kind of advanced noise terrorism perfected by Japanese artists of the Merzbow/Boredoms axis. Aside from the 12-minute "Death to America" and the even more intense sludge rock grind "My Own Private Altamont," which between themselves account for a full one-third of the album's playing time, the tracks are admirably concise; indeed, some of the shorter tracks sound more like formal experiments, like the 57-second, Foetus-like blurt "+2 Charisma." Others are simply isolated drum or guitar tracks from other, longer songs, added for no particular reason. Fans of the Butthole Surfers and Steve Albini's more outré sonic experiments will find much to admire here. (Stewart Mason, All Music Guide)
Read More Reviews...
Track Listing:
01. Let's Kill
02. Jeff's Flag
03. Let's Pretend We Don't Know Each Other
04. +2 Charisma
05. Thousands And Thousands And Thousands And Thousands
06. Get Fucked Again
07. I Know, I'm Sorry
08. Summer Of Lies
09. Nice Problem
10. Winner Versus Loser
11. Saturation Emission
12. She's A Prostitute
13. The Resentinel
14. This Is Class War
Bonus Tracks:
15. Baikal Depths
16. Baikal Shallows
17. A Mess On Strom Thurmond’s Dress
18. Let’s Kill (Drums/Vocals Only)
19. Constant Sucking Sensation
20. Emblematic Sac
21. Sadegh Hedayat
22. I Know, I’m Sorry (Drums Only)
23. A Thousand Cuts
24. Urdu Is An Amalgam
25. Death To America
26. My Own Private Altamont
Listen
MySpace
Buy
Review:
From the album title, one might expect some political punk rabble-rousing in the manner of Jello Biafra's Alternative Tentacles label. Instead, Milligram's debut album (originally titled "Death to America," until a skittish post-9/11 label changed it to something less incendiary) pitches itself somewhere between the insular stoner rock of Queens of the Stone Age, Kyuss, or even the much poppier Built to Spill and the kind of advanced noise terrorism perfected by Japanese artists of the Merzbow/Boredoms axis. Aside from the 12-minute "Death to America" and the even more intense sludge rock grind "My Own Private Altamont," which between themselves account for a full one-third of the album's playing time, the tracks are admirably concise; indeed, some of the shorter tracks sound more like formal experiments, like the 57-second, Foetus-like blurt "+2 Charisma." Others are simply isolated drum or guitar tracks from other, longer songs, added for no particular reason. Fans of the Butthole Surfers and Steve Albini's more outré sonic experiments will find much to admire here. (Stewart Mason, All Music Guide)
Read More Reviews...
Track Listing:
01. Let's Kill
02. Jeff's Flag
03. Let's Pretend We Don't Know Each Other
04. +2 Charisma
05. Thousands And Thousands And Thousands And Thousands
06. Get Fucked Again
07. I Know, I'm Sorry
08. Summer Of Lies
09. Nice Problem
10. Winner Versus Loser
11. Saturation Emission
12. She's A Prostitute
13. The Resentinel
14. This Is Class War
Bonus Tracks:
15. Baikal Depths
16. Baikal Shallows
17. A Mess On Strom Thurmond’s Dress
18. Let’s Kill (Drums/Vocals Only)
19. Constant Sucking Sensation
20. Emblematic Sac
21. Sadegh Hedayat
22. I Know, I’m Sorry (Drums Only)
23. A Thousand Cuts
24. Urdu Is An Amalgam
25. Death To America
26. My Own Private Altamont
Listen
MySpace
Buy
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Band To Burn One To-Mos Generator
It was the winter of 2000 in Seattle. The embers of the fire that was once Sub Pop continued to smolder and belch forth black smoke in the form of a stunning array of watered down indie-pop in a city that had once deemed fit to attempt a resurrection of the spirit of rock and roll. An hour west of the city, in the scenic costal town of Port Orchard, scene veterans Shawn Johnson (ex-Mindfunk), ScooterHaslip (ex-Voodoo Gearshift) & Tony Reed (ex-Treepeople, Goodbye Harry) were regrouping.
Born from the ashes of a scene that promised the second coming of Deep Purple and Sabbath but delivered only watered down bar bands and radio friendly alt-rock, Reed and company felt the instinctual need to strip down to the basics of hard rock. Long time veterans of both road & studio, the trio entered Reed’s Temple Sound studio with virtually limitless time and the record collections of their youths. 2002 saw Mos Generator emerge with from the studio with a debut album that has served as a blueprint for all their future works. Wearing their influences on their collective sleeve “Mos Generator” was a rough and raw smorgasbord of all that has ever rocked. 2004 saw the once again self-released “Live At The Manette,” which served to document the bands ever increasing chemistry. In 2006, the band delivered their most wholly realized effort, “The Late Great Planet Earth.” Brimming with Sabbathesque
riffs and a dynamic rhythm section that would put Mountain to shame Mos Generator have taken rock and roll out of the 70’s and put it back where it belongs, on the road.
Their Small Stone debut, "Songs for Future Gods
" continues where “The Late Great Planet Earth” left off. The ten tracks virtually ooze sludge and groove through your speakers when first played. The rhythms are tighter and Tony’s guitar playing has grown all the more explosive. The fact is, Mos Generator are playing kick ass, honest, old school heavy Rock 'n' Roll. MG has evolved to a point where they have become the dictionary definition of the word "chemistry". Revolving their sound around swagger and groove while improvising just enough to keep the songs feeling fresh from night to night. Dynamic, resilient, instinctive, unpredictable, but never boring. Mos Generator are a must see the next time they come to your town. (Small Stone Records)----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reviews of "Songs For Future Gods"
CosmicLava.com
NadaMucho.com
StonerRock.com
HellrideMusic.com
Band's MySpace Page
Listen to entire album here
Check out a video of Mos Generator performing "Lumbo Rock!" live at Winterland in Bremerton, WA on June 22, 2007.
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