Lockjaw “Annihilove” Album Review

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LOCKJAW “Annihilove” EP review

Reviewed by Ric “Suiskyo” Dorr

So… right around the turn of the century, 1998 to be exact, a band was rising from the ashes of a dying century that was in need of something to alleviate the masses from the sediment of the music they had been being fed by the mainstream that had become enamored with a pablum the media described as some of the best-ever, shoving it down the collective throat of the general public. The horizon grew darker with each passing song, the crest appeared to break just a little as a man strolled ever closer with the promise of something that was not like anything anyone had witnessed; his name was Medavon DeRaj’e and he was in no mood take anyone’s shit. No ‘boy-meets-girl’ drivel to be found here, he quickly began developing the songs that would become the release ‘Dirty Minds and Smiling Faces’ that was quickly followed by the release of ‘Hell Inside’ that let the world know that this was not just more if the ‘same old song and dance’ as it were. Playing at every venue he could book, he continued to grind out music that rattled his insides and shook his brain with an urgency he could not deny leading to the release of ’Starving For Salvation’. This partnered with the ‘pressing the flesh’ that seemed unending, the gigs got to be more and more. They opened for bands ranging from KMFDM to Prong to Lords Of Acid eventually even leading to direct support for Marilyn Manson, proving the public that they fit in anywhere you could imagine and did it with finesse and ease like not many other bands had the ability to do. I myself had never heard of them… until the first time they opened for MM… I was so impressed that I ended up buying several shirts and a copy of each cd they for sale. Fourteen releases later, we are now ready to enter a new chapter of hell-rock, and the worlds hasn’t needed it more than right NOW.

 

Lockjaw frontman

 

In the shadow of the grains of sand, Medavon would typically write everything and then take it on himself to perform each song himself and then mix everything himself and get a band together to get it onstage, true to his vision. For the new record, he has re-assessed things as they stand on this post-plague stage of societal evolution and do a little bit differently this time. Not only is he handling the vocal duties as well as synths, guitars and programming, there is a new cast of players on board, providing they each have what Medavon demands for his lifeforce to grow even larger in scope and essence, that being Lockjaw.

Jake Steffes on bass guitar, KW Mart in drums and Scotty Damned on lead guitar each contributed their own sections to each song, a first in Lockjaw history from my recollection and the strength of each track shows a level of musicianship that holds up and surpasses what has come to be expected from what we have heard before. The press release describes this record as one that quote “combines the old school abrasive sound of Lockjaw with melodic hooks and pounding beats inspired by the likes of Aesthetic Perfection and Julien K.” enquote. The results will not disappoint with the single released a month before the full-length, ‘Annihilove’ opens with all four in full force, churning guitars, quick beat and thick bass slathered all over your ears, you can’t help but rock your head in response.

Another first happens with the presence of two mixes of the song ‘A River So Still’. The first mix (Upstream) jumps right at you with a nice staccato tempo layered with all the parts nice and thick in the mix, in perfect unison with Medavon’s vocals working their spell as he weaves his story across your hungry tongue. The flavor permeates before you even realize it. The second mix (Downstream) enters with a different tempo that fits just as perfectly with the other three parts and that first minute will seem essential as the tempo shifts taking you on another ‘lap’ across the proverbial water.

http://https://lockjawx.bandcamp.com/album/annihilove-ep

‘Tribe Of Kaos’ is a bit slower than the rest BUT it is a fitting showcase for the unity this band has due to the new members and allows each to expand their might as players as Medavon has never sounded better in MY opinion. The conceptual continuity has always been present and with these others contributing to the collective, he can spread his dark-wings as wide as they can be.

This brings us to my personal favorite on this one, ‘Nobody Cares’. This one in particular stands out for me as an old-school metalhead in that the guitar lines are crushing, the bass line is beyond hypnotic and the time shifts are simply put, perfect!!

The entire EP is front-to-back, stellar. Great songs, performances top-level and the production is just what can push this record to the top of your favorites. Great place for new fans to start as well and could be just the key to opening the door for hell-rock to take your world by STORM!! Maximum volume, share it with all in your realm and go see ‘em if you get the chance… Keep it LOUD!!

From the press release:

Since starting out in 1998, Lockjaw has released 15 albums to date on Dark Drug records with their previous effort being 2021’s “Reverent” and later in July 2021 “Somewhere In A Dream”. Lockjaw’s “Bored Again” from the CD “Dirty Minds and Smiling Faces”(2004) is featured on the X-Box360 game “Dead Rising”.

Special Event with a Shaolin Master in Irvine, California…

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Learn Ancient Qi Gong from a World Renown Shaolin Master!

 

2 Classes: Limit 20 People Per Class
Class #1: 4-4:45pm and
Class #2: 5-5:45pm
Cost: Pre-Sale $42.99
Day of Event (Space Permitting) $49.99
Buy Tickets NOW

Select Your Class

MASTER SHI YANQING

Master Shi Yanqing was born in Handan, China. He began practicing Chinese martial arts in the Shaolin Temple at the age of nine. He was elected to the Shaolin Kungfu Monk Corps, in which he became a devout disciple to a Shaolin monk. Under the mentoring of Abbot Shi Yongxing, he learned traditional Shaolin Kung Fu, Chan Wu culture, and the practice of Yi (medicine).

Shi Yanqing won multiple Boxing Champion titles in the national Shaolin boxing contest. In 1999, he was selected to carry out cultural exchanges among the world. In 2003, as one of the Shaolin Kung Fu Monk Corps members, he visited Korea and the Philippines and various other countries, and won first place at the Korean International Kung Fu Tournament. He also toured with Abbot Shi Yongxing to Australia, the United States, Italy, Thailand, Japan, Brazil, Bulgaria, Germany, Austria and many other countries for cultural exchanges.

He was appointed by Abbot Shi Yongxing to come to the United States to promote Shaolin Chan Wu culture. He is passionate about sharing his knowledge to help others gain strength and balance.

 

 

About Qi Gong:

This class teaches you controlled breathing, stretching of the torso and limbs in order to strengthen tendons and ligaments throughout the body. Compared to YOGA, Master Yanqing brought Ancient Shaolin YIJIGJIN & XISUIJING into QI GONG. You will learn “STAND” BADUANJING, “SIT” BADUANJING, “SHIERDUANJIN” and others. It’s higher level of YOGA – SHAOLIN YOGA!

It will improve one’s general well-being and help balance one’s emotion. It will develop your inner peace and wisdom to enjoy daily life.

InOrgAnic “Dark Places” Review + Stream…

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InOrgAnic

Dark Places – Digital Download

Self Released – released November 28, 2018

Reviewed by Ric “Suisyko” Dorr

 

Location:
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 

Members:
Medavon DeRaj’e – Vocals, lead/rhythm guitars, programming, drums and production
Michael X. Christian – Composition, rhythm/melody/acoustic guitars, bass, synths and keyboards

 

 

Review:

Having previously heard both of these guys, in their individual projects, Medavon, the purveyor of ‘hellrock’ that he puts forth with Lockjaw and Murder Love God, and Michael’s is as a solo artist, the bassist for Pound of Flesh, vocalist for Misery Machine and lists ‘Instrumentalist’ with The Insect Pins, each unique in approach, tone and content. I decided it best to go into this record trying not to let my familiarity with their previous output taint my palette for this 6-track long voyage into a collaboration not witnessed before. In their own words to describe this project, quote “There are happy places and there are dark places. This album takes a journey into the dark recesses of the mind, while trying to maintain the proper amount of optimism to see the sun again. “ enquote. And then I pushed play…

Slow fade in as “The Art Of Letting Go” sets the tone, dark and menacing with a slower tempo, nuance intact, Medavon gives from his core with his sig vocal delivery that seems touched in a clarity in the mix that adds to the final product. “Dark Places” enters with a softness that is like a wet razor-blade in it’s inherent sweetness that belies each forward as ‘It’s getting cold…’ I could almost feel the temperature drop with the words. Less than 9 minutes in and I am rapt in, no need to go anywhere but here!!

“Conflict” starts off with an almost ‘clean’ guitar, slight reverb for presence but with the slightly quickened tempo from the last two, it adds a feel that seems to give an ‘upbeat’ feel with lyrics as sardonic as any put forth previously from either… “The conflict’s on, dismember”. The corner of my mouth curled in delight.

“Bleeding Out” is something lush and languid in essence and is still dripping in ‘dark sun and rain’, just another day…’ and shows a depth of musicianship in the arrangement and delivery from each to almost, dare I say it, make this release even more ‘accessible’ than any previous from either, this speaking to the average fan as well as the hardcore’s and long-time fans of. The implication being snapped-up the moment it, this record, is experienced.

“Pale” enters as it should, a seeming later-evening tale of confrontation without confronting, just stating the brutal truth, asking for the same with each query, knowing the shadows hide nothing. Pure Medavon tale-weaving and is followed perfectly by “Exhaustion”, which as the fastest cadenced composition with transitions that flow in precisely sliced sections and that keep you rapt, the volume having reached max.

The mix is top-notch, the arrangements are captivating and the aforementioned musicianship shown by these individuals, in a project said to have started back in 2014 all leads to the same conclusion… perfect timing in a year that is already lacking much ‘substance’, this is one you HAVE to sink your teeth into, savoring each drop that runs down your chin. Each track stands on it’s own and together, this is not a snack but a meal to share. Get it out to all in your fold and support them in any project you are given the chance to witness… keep it LOUD!!

Notes & Links:

Lyrics by Medavon DeRaj’e (c)2018 MurderLoveGodMusic/BMIMusic Music by Michael X. Christian (c)2018 AlmostChristianMusic. A Dark Drug Records Production.

https://www.facebook.com/InOrgAnicMusic/videos/239422013385294/ (Medavon recording vocals)

Frozen Planet…1969 “The Heavy Medicinal Grand Exposition” Review + Stream…

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Frozen Planet 1969

The Heavy Medicinal Grand Exposition – Limited Vinyl // CD // DD

Pepper Shaker Records & Headspin Records – released November 1, 2018

 Review by Terry “The Ancient” One Cuyler

“Psychedelic Snake Oil”

 

The Heavy Medicinal Grand Exposition

I.Oddball Sundae (00:00-05:15)

II.The Juggler (05:16-10:08)

III.Introducing… Oxandra Lanceolata (10:09-16:26)

  1. The Talking Juice (16:27-27:31)
  2. Swords For Hire (27:32-31:47)
  3. Never Should Have Left Town With A Whistling Monkey By My Side(31:48-39:29)

2 Encore: A Herbal Miracle (6:02)

 

Review:

Step right up ladies and gentlemen, so I can tell you about The Heavy Medicinal Grand Exposition by Australia’s Heavy Psych trio Frozen Planet ….1969 made up of Paul Attard & Frank Attard of Mother Mars  and  Lachlan Paine of Looking Glass who planted the seeds to the band in 2012 in a jam session at the Frank Street Studio, the home of Pepper Shaker Records. Then a little more than a year later the guys got back together and decided to release the recordings as a side project they would call Frozen Planet 1969.

To date, the band has only played a handful of shows. Each show has been uniquely different with the band continuously jamming for thirty to forty minutes. No rehearsal necessary. Every time Frozen Planet 1969 gets together it’s either to record or play live. And it’s All improvised!  Although this is a style of creating and playing music that can cause friction it seems to work quite well for Frozen Planet 1969 who has released a total of  6 albums and 2 singles since their 1st “Self Titled” album.

Band Pic_5-2-2019

The bands latest offering is on it’s surface a 2 song album which might be disappointing if they were only 3 to 5 minute songs and leave me hoping they were just appetizers for an upcoming album. However as masters of improvisation who love to jam, Frozen Planet 1969‘s album The Heavy Medicinal Grand Exposition is not just two songs. it is in truth a Psychedelic / Acid Rock opera about a traveling medicine show.

In the album description on Bandcamp ‘I’ through ‘VI’ of the title-track serve as the acts of the show. The band takes twists and turns to help guide you through the story, while Doctor Berner, with the help of some colorful characters, are on a quest to sell bottles of his glowing green elixir (which will apparently cure any pain or deliver anyone from evil!). After listening to this I am hooked and want to see one of those rare shows.

Lord Vapour “Semuta” Album Review + Stream…

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Lord Vapour

Semuta – Limited Vinyl // CD // Digital Download

Ripple Music & Magic Moustache Records – December 1, 2018

Reviewed by Ric “Suisyko” Dorr

 

 

Formed:
2014

Location
The Island of Guernsey, off the coast of Normandy, France

Members:
Joe Le long – Bass, Vocals
Christiaan Mariess – Drums
Henry Fears – Guitar, Vocals

Previous Releases:
‘Self Titled’ EP (2014)
‘Mill Street Blues’ (2016)
‘Through The Doors Of Kukundu’ single (2017)

 

 

Review:

I have always been one who is ‘down’ for something cool to ‘smoke into’ and chill, riding the dissonant waves of what is referred to as stoner-metal. For me, I ask for thick guitars and enough bass to rattle my fillings while a nice tempo is a good ‘carry’ to lift the rest even higher, as it were. Through the previous releases, Lord Vapour has been one of the genre’s highlights with the flow-of-low they deliver with every track and I had high-hopes for this true-sophomore effort offered with this album. And then I pushed ‘play’…

Opener ‘Burning Planet’ gave me just over three minutes of drums, bass and guitar flow-of-low that is seamless in tone and sets the pace perfectly, with all the rise and fall of soaring notes that wrap around you effortlessly and then Joe’s vocal hits you right between the eyes with another tale of outer-space that will shake your thirst for fuzzed out low-end. Henry’s screaming guitar leads and all the thunder you could ask from Christian’s kit that is dripping in groove as it fades slowly into the opening bass riff of ‘The Spice’, carrying you further along the path of Lord Vapour’s journey this time out. The sudden time shift two minutes in, gives Henry’s fingers another chance to fly before Joe’s voice commands your attention and you can’t help but give in to catch each moment with clarity so as to not miss a crumb.

 

Band Pic

 

All six tracks show the polishing of their craft in the almost two years since the last release and will be on quite a few ‘top-of’ lists for quite a few and with the sheer might of power chord progressions such as in ‘Through The Doors Of Kukundu’ to the ‘funky-wah’ opening of ‘Semuta Music’, these guys are not afraid to show how DEEP the power of their prowess in crafting tracks that are HUGE in composition and execution. The layering of “The Mothership Connection’ delivers the complexity and sonic force that permeate each of Lord Vapour’s tracks to date.

Personal stand-out for me is closer ‘Nasubi’ with the lush wash-cymbals, jazz tempo’d time shifts and that ultra thick low-end that gives the ultimate room for the slides and grinds up and down that six-string and has a flow that would not relent until another mega-shift almost three minutes into this opus that clocks in at over eight minutes. This record is so good that it has been re-released to lauds and positivity throughout by European label Argonauta Records and by Ripple Music in The States if that tells you anything.  Everyone wants to jump onboard Lord Vapour’s proverbial “Freight Train”!!

The previous releases, to ME, hinted quietly about what was to come, but this record will force the rest of the world to climb aboard and just ride… support them if they come anywhere close and share with ALL in your realm and most importantly, keep it LOUD!!

Vinyl

We Hunt Buffalo “Head Smashed In” Review + Stream…

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WE HUNT BUFFALO

Head Smashed In – Limited Vinyl // CD // DD

New Damage Records (Canada) &  Fuzzorama Records (World) – released October 26, 2018

Reviewed by Ric “Suisyko” Dorr

 

 

Location:
… a small suburb of Vancouver, Canada

Personnel:
Ryan Forsythe – Vocals/Guitar
Cliff Thiessen – Bass/Vocals
Brandon Carter – Drums

 

Previous Releases:

“Rain” single (2010)

‘S/T’ (2012)

‘Blood From A Stone’ EP (2013)

“Alaska” single (2013)

‘Living Ghosts’ (2015)

 

 

Review:
These guys have been around for the better part of the last ten years, always striving to keep things streamlined, bombastic and lethal, all during the years of perfecting this feat both live and in the studio. Using various techniques, both tried-and-true as well as the experimenting with drop-tuning and phase-shifts not yet imagined. Fuzzed out, window shaking and volatile are three adjectives that just ‘fit’ and make sure you are ready for this one… Ryan (vox/guitar)  himself warns that “Head Smashed In is definitely our heaviest effort to date,”

Opening track “Heavy Low” hits as you would expect,  rumbling your fillings from the first note, quickly joined by a nice staggered tempo and enough power chords to pop your eyes out of the sockets. And all of this within the first minute plus… enter the vocal with a sinewy undertone that does little to disguise the passion behind delivery of lyrics that fit the myriad of might on display. If the remaining eight tracks come close to this, holy shit!!

“Angels Must Die” crashes out of the gate, all thunder and might with a faster beat and the wailing screams are right up front, the perfect dressing for the entire body of crunching that keeps churning you forward, even as the multi-layered chorus entices further. Heavy and unrelenting, JUST how I like it!!

“Prophecy Wins”  is another slower-paced that still pulls you in tow to catch each wave of electric-punches that wash over your brain and makes you reach for the volume to get it even BIGGER as the solo takes you over during this, the longest composition contained.

“Industry Woes” is structurally, the most commercial sounding track, but the ingredients these guys have season the chord-progressions perfectly with the rhythm section never dropping a moment, pummeling away at your very core as the screams of ‘End Of Me’ keep permeating, while “The Giant’s Causeway’ comes in with a quick-fade in bass-wash over a softly echoing 6-string intro that sounds as footsteps of an equine presence setting his gait.  When the harmonizing vocal busts forth from the light fog, you can’t help but run alongside to catch each moment, all the way to the slow fade out… and by the time the snare-snaps of ‘Keep It Refreshing’ hit you, the NEED for more is satiated again with the same force that has been present throughout each song to this point.

Even as the poppy bassline of ‘Anxious Children’ is joined by a jazzy beat, we are presented with yet another flavor from this gathering of musicians that are leaving nothing on the table. Utilizing a classic-stoner tone with the floating lead bits that flow seamlessly from background to right in your face and back again, all the while maintaining the ferocity exuding from the core of each and the deluge of guitar-might for the end section cements that they are not fucking around, this shit is as REAL as it gets, while closer, ‘God Games’ comes out with a soft-touch from each member, including a clarity of vocal that has been kept at bay until…

Band Pic

Stand-out track IN MY OPINION would have to be ‘Get In The Van’, the fastest HEAVIEST romp offered, and while it is the shortest song here as well as the sole instrumental, this shows just how ‘thick’ a mix can be and the tempo is guaranteed to make every headbanger flop-yer-mop in time as the song seems to get bigger and bigger, even as the pace slows toward the end.

One of those rare instances where front-to-back, there is not a dud among, and each song seems even better than the one before it!! Get it NOW, share it with everyone in your circle and support them LIVE if you are given the opportunity… and as always, keep it LOUD!!

Links:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97Litlo7lio

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wi-PCORpo2o

https://wehuntbuffalo.com

Label:
Fuzzorama (World) – info@fuzzoramarecords.com
New Damage (Canada) – info@newdamagerecords.com

Domkraft “Flood” Album Review + Stream…

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Domkraft

Flood – Limited Vinyl // CD // DD

Blues Funeral Recordings – releases October 19, 2018

Reviewed by Ric “Suisyko” Dorr

 

Location:
Stockholm, Sweden

Band Members:
Martin Widholm – Guitar
Martin Wegeland – Bass & Vocals
Anders Dahlgren – Drums

Previous Releases:
‘Domkraft’ EP (2015)

‘The End Of Electricity’ (2016)

 

 

Review:
OK, I’ll admit it… the first question I had was what does the name Domkraft mean?? Translated from Swedish to English, it simply means ‘screw-jack’ like what you would use on a larger vehicle or a house foundation. Hmmm… this can ONLY mean that this is going to be some ultra-heavy shit I am about to immerse myself into. I had not heard of this power-trio until I was handed the album and told to give it a listen. Little did I realize just what awaited me on this true-sophomore effort from this band that describes themselves as simply, “Organic, electric, hypnotic and loud.” And, engage………

Opener “Landslide” wastes no time in getting right down to the heavy riff that knocks you over, complete with the soaring vocals that cascade over the staggered tempos that keep your feet moving during the almost ten minutes.  “Landslide” sets the tone for the rest of the record to follow with a slow fade out, leading right into “The Watchers” with another lead you slowly follow along until the full body of stoner-might pops you in the jaw this time.  Making sure you feel the reeling as you spin in amazement at the sheer force pumping out of this three-man machine that keeps the slice-and-dice routine swirling around you, even as the last chord strings in sustain.

“Flood” is more even tempered and keeps the air shimmering with a bass tone that is ALL enveloping and shows zero sign that it will relent anytime soon, and why would you want it to??

Domkraft….The Calm before that Tsunami!!

Gear Picture

 

“They Appear To Be Alive” comes out nice and sedated and is the sole instrumental contained on this slab of intensity and then after a half second space, “Sandwalker” hits hard again, maintaining the stature of a giant that looms above and beyond as the musical winds whip the air around with a fury not witnessed since, well, the LAST Domkraft record!!

“Octopus” is one of the harder-hitting compositions with the bass-slides and power chords encasing a drum line that fits like a ‘magnum’ and serves ‘this ride’ well. The stand-out track, in MY opinion, “Dead Eyes Red Skies” wraps this masterful-morsel in the perfect foil of musical precision that in it’s HUGENESS of mix, towers above the rest of the album and promises so much yet to come from this triad of mega-power.

I believe this release will be making a lot of ‘best-of’ lists for 2018 and does indeed indicate that Domkraft is set to be in the leagues of their peers with bands like Monolord and Neurosis to name a few.  If you don’t believe me, get your copy, share it ALL around and see what those around you are saying.  Support / witness these guys in a live format if you are given the opportunity and above all else, keep it LOUD!!

High on Fire “Electric Messiah” Review + Stream…

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HIGH ON FIRE

Electric Messiah – Limited Vinyl // CD // DD

eOne Heavy Records – released October 5, 2018

Reviewed by Ric “Suisyko” Dorr

 

Location:
Oakland, CA USA

Members:
Matt Pike – Guitar / Vocals
Des Kensel – Drums
Jeff Matz – Bass Guitar (ex Zeke, member since “Blessed Black Wings” tour)
George RIce – Bass Guitar (ex-Dear Deceased, on :”Art Of Self Defense” / “SUrrounded By Thieves”)
Joe Preston – Bass Guitar (ex Melvins / Thrones, on Blessed Black Wings)

Previous Releases:

“The Art of Self-Defense” 2000

“Surrounded By Thieves” 2002

“Blessed Black Wings” 2005

“Live from the Relapse Contamination Festival” 2005

“Death Is This Communion” 2007

“Snakes For The Divine” 2010

“De Vermis Mysteriis” 2012

“Spitting Fire Live Volume I” 2013

“Spitting Fire Live Volume II” 2013

“Luminiferous” 2015

 

 

Review:

Way back in 1998, Matt Pike was deep in the band SLEEP as guitarist and when the other guitarist quit, Matt began inviting people to come to his garage to jam.  This led to Matt deciding to work in a power-trio again.  Within 6 months, the jams led to the formation of HIGH ON FIRE, allowing Matt to keep his tone similar while his playing style was becoming faster and more aggressive in delivery and structure and taking over vocals and writing the bulk of the new material.

As of 2007, the current and most prolific line-up solidified into the unit that is getting set to take the new release to the world. Having toured endlessly with a wide variety of acts from GOATWHORE to CONVERGE, including a stint on MEGADETH’s “Gigatour”.

Band Pic

With the release of “Electric Messiah” Pike & Co. are not trying to re-invent the wheel; FAR from it. Nine tracks and 59 minutes later, HoF have delivered what can only be described as the quintessential definition of what High on Fire has come to demonstrate;  aggressive precision seasoned perfectly with Matt’s lyrical creations.  This fits seamlessly into his 6-string myriads of hyper-aggro masterpieces. Tracks like ‘Spewn From The Earth’, ‘The Pallad Mask’ and ‘Freebooter’ show that the might is still intact and the longer compositions are still present as ‘Steps Of The Ziggeraut/House Of Enlil’ and ‘Sanctioned Annihilation’ show clocking in at over 9 minutes plus. ALL factors that encompass High on Fire are present and even the title track belies that they are even more cohesive and just flat-out IN YOUR FACE than ever before, using power-chords, bombastic bass tones and drum-attacks that ring in sheer might.

Matt Pike

The standout on this record, for ME, is the closer ‘Drowning Dog’.  I hear the culmination of the best of each previous release, all winding into this diatribe that allows Matt to give it all and offers what can only be HoF at it’s absolute top-notch performances.

If you don’t have it yet, GET IT asap. If there is any in your circle that may not yet be aware of what High on Fire entails, force-feed them until they know, support these guys live if you get the chance and above all else, KEEP IT LOUD!!

High on Fire Tour Dates

Tour Dates

Ethereal Riffian start Crowdfunding Campaign for 3rd Full Length…

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Crowdfunding Campaign for Ethereal Riffian’s 3rd LP

 

One of our favorite bands here at Taste Nation, Spiritualized rockers from Ukraine, Ethereal Riffian are launching a crowdfunding campaign via Indiegogo to support their 3rd full-length album which they plan to release next year and we couldn’t be happier!!

With all Ethereal Riffian’s previous releases their intention was to make people realize their true potential via different spiritual traditions, but with the third album we want to bring the wisdom from the Himalayan Caves to the streets of big cities and radio stations. Eight years since the inception of the band, we have refined our musical language to be able to produce the songs which talk directly to the Spirit and now we’re finally ready to record the album which will shake you to the core.

We’ve been creating psychedelic rock music with a message since 2010 and are now ready to record our 3rd full-length album. We have started working on the new album in the beginning of 2016 and it took us a little more than two and a half years to write 10 new songs full of energy and purpose.

Collage

“Since 2010, we have produced 6 releases and never before in our history we have asked our fans to contribute,” comments Val Kornev, frontman of the band. “This situation is very different, because we have many ambitious plans for this album and we’re looking forward to your contribution. Musically it’s a much more straightforward work compared to our previous efforts and ideologically, it can be described as bold as Rage Against the Machine meets the Dalai Lama.”

You can follow the process of album’s recording via Ethereal Riffian’s YouTube channel.

Contribute to the crowdfunding campaign: https://igg.me/at/erthird

Follow Ethereal Riffian on social media:

 

Max Tovstyi “Mesmerize” Album Review + Stream…

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MAX TOVSTYI

Mesmerize – Vinyl // CD // DD

Clostridium Records – released May 21, 2018

Reviewed by Ric “Suisyko” Dorr

 

 

Location: 
Kyiv, Ukraine

Other Projects:
The Heavy Crawls
Lucifer Rising
Turnaround
The Red Sterns

 

 

Review:
While most of us have taken the summer to live life, the way we do, soaking up all of the joys life offers us while taking a break from the ‘every-day’ as it were. Max Tovstyi is the exception to the rule here. Having completed another tour with The Heavy Crawls and their rotating cast of members, he completed his Broken Bricks Studios project, including getting the right building and equipment, and doing most of the work himself. During all of this he had going on, Max was able to complete a series of 12 songs that tend towards a more blues-feel record, complete with faster tempo tracks interwoven with the slower, and Max does it ALL on this album. Previously, he seemed to concentrate on the space-rock type of structure and letting his guitar work speak for itself while sitting at the helm of his creative juggernaut, steering into the world.  This time, it is just him, no pretense, no other minds involved so we get PURE Max, claiming responsibility for every nuance and note.

I had been contacted directly by Max to review this solo-outing, the day before it’s release and upon initial listening, I was floored with the simple purity of each track, surprised with the dozen compositions that sound very little like anything I had heard before from…

Pro Shot

From the power chord intro of ‘Rising Sun’ through to the phased-out beginning of bonus track ‘So Unfamiliar’ and it’s slow-cascading tempo, there is just so much to ingest here. While ‘Wait Till Tomorrow’ comes out of the gate relatively quick, he slows to a mid-tempo pace that allows him to flex his muscle, including harmonizing alongside himself in the chorus and you can hear some multi-layered soloing as it permeates the air around. ‘Interstellar Girl opens with a jazzy drumline that leads right into some funky 70’s sounding keyboards that follow the pumped-up bass line and is jaunty enough to keep your head moving along, and ‘Feel Like Dying Now’ keeps that feel but is a diatribe in sadness as Max describes what took him there, all frosted in some of his most-personal soloing he has done yet.

‘From The Blues To The Funk’ sounds like something lifted directly out of Mississippi mud and by the time you have reached the three minute mark, the funk has overtaken the bass and the ‘funk’ is all over the place, replete with some sassy horn work for good measure. ‘Yesterday’s Blues’ is more traditional in arrangement and delivery but still containing his heart on his sleeve, much like the token ‘heartstrings-puller’ delivery of ‘You Have To Make Up Your Mind’ that includes some female back-up vocals to compliment the chorus here.

‘Show Me The Way’ maintains this feel and does not disappoint while tracks like ‘World Of Sin’ give you something to chew-on with the lush mix that manages to convey a little of the previously mentioned space-rock’ feel and still feeling heavy as fuck, where ‘You Know That I Know’ is one of the faster tracks offered and keeps it moving as much as any other from this album. ‘Show Me The Way’ sums up the rest of the record in keeping with that standard 3/4 time sig that is so prevalent with the blues overall.

Painting_Album Cover

The one that stands out and away from the others on this in I didn’t just want, I NEEDED to listen to this one over and over, that being the title track ‘Mesmerize’ with what can only be described as fuzzed-out, punch you in your chest hard rock brought perfectly into this century by Max’ own hand. The structure/arrangement/delivery is flawless and FOR ME, is the best I have heard from Max to this point.

Having watched this all develop has been fascinating and I can only hope for more, including a tour to the USA. Get it if you haven’t already, share it with ALL that surround you and when all else fails, keep it LOUD!!