DERELICS – “Guilty of Being Young” Album Review + Track Stream

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DERELICS

Guilty Of Being Young – Digital Download

Self Released – Early September, 2017

Reviewed by Ric “Suisyko” Dorr

 

Founded – Oct 11, 2011

Location – London England

Band Members:
Rich – Drums
Josh – Bass (Thom on our EP)
Reno – Guitars/Vocals
Mushroom man – Producer/spiritual counseling

Previous Releases – “Introducing” 2015 / “Speaking Without Words (Bicycle Jams)” 2016

Three guys make up the line up here. Having faced numerous personnel changes and almost four years from founding to first release, DERELICS is serious about their craft and this new EP, “Guilty of Being Young,” delivers even more than what we have come to expect. They describe themselves as “technicolor/heavy/psychedelic rock” and this is pretty spot-on.  This album was recorded with Wayne Adams at Bear Bites Horse (Shitwife, Vodun, Luminous Bodies).

 

Band Pic

 

Three tracks clocking in at just over 19 minutes on this release and each track is as strong as the other two in ALL instances. From the screamo-feel of ‘The (Wicked) Witch Is Dead’ complete with the meandering soloing, to the staggered, jazzy feel of the drum intro to ‘Guilty Of Being Young’ through ‘The Summer Song.’   There is a more driving energy and vibe that permeates this release that seems to have replaced the ‘doom’ feel that seemed prevalent with the previous releases.

Hopefully, this line-up is solid and they can push out a full-length sooner than later and can bring their circus to our shores in America!!  The Guys have released the Title Track single ‘Guilty of Being Young’ on their Bandcamp Page for stream and purchase (below).  Buy the entire EP immediately when it is released.  Play it for everybody you think may like it and even those you know will hate it.   Support them live if you are given the opportunity and remember to always keep it LOUD!!

POSEIDON “Prologue” Album Review + Teaser Video…

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POSEIDON

Prologue – Limited Vinyl // CD // DD

Ripple Music – Release Date:  JULY 21st, 2017

Reviewed by Aaron “Red Beard” Wall

 

Poseidon…crushing, destructive, monolithic. Juxtaposed with melodies of melancholy and the starkest and darkest of beauty. Poseidon…volume, monster thickness of tone. Rhythms with a pulse that can go from subtle to leveling pulverization. Emotional atmospheres of foggy desolation. Based out of East London these four blokes bring the smoke and the ash. Raza Khan-Drums // Matt Norris-Guitar // Matthew Bunkell-Bass/Vocals // Jaime Starke-Guitar hurl fire and smog. They bring a weight down on you that hits the soul. Prologue  is Poseidon’s Ripple Music debut. Ripple most definitely know what they are doing. The label is the leader of heavy in North America and expanding. Signings such as Poseidon and this concrete slab of a record will keep Ripple’s reputation held in extremely high regard.

 

Band Pic

 

Prologue begins with ‘The Beginning The End The Colony.’ Our journey starts with a slow build of epic proportions. Feedback and tension swirl around your brain. The thickness pushing and putting pressure on the mood. As the monolithic and devastating riff drops, the drums of thunder kick in heaviness and groove that suffocates, and simultaneously exhilarates. Slow, meaty, weighty, emotionally charged sludgy doom. Midway through, the flawless vocals come in as Poseidon proceed to drop the sledge. The band transitions into an atmospheric and dissonant short reprise. Complete with swirling and weaving leads. You are able to catch your breath…if only for a minute. Savor that breath, because the last four minutes of this jam, the band will crush your lungs, your mind, your heart, and your soul. All has gone black.

Mother Mary Son of Scorn follows. A poignant acoustic dirge that lets the sparks and ashes fall and settle, on the smoldering landscape of desperation. Beautiful and dark, lamented and empty. This song makes you feel. Feel deep.

Chainbreaker  breaks the chains. The beast is rising. Slogging across a swamp of mud and guts. Angry and agitated, the creature destroys the tethers of persecution, and is coming for the black tower. Tribal rhythmic drums mimicking the heartbeat, guitars raining molten lava. Waves of noise suffocate, as passionate and desperate vocals send shivers up the spine.

 

 

Closing track Omega opens with a biblical sermon on top of clean guitars with some reverb. The mood it sets is  immediate and intensely felt. Poseidon smash the psyche and the face until the final note.

On Prologue, Poseidon lay the wood. This record takes you on a dank and darkened  journey of diabolical sludge and doom. Neurosis noise, ethereal Yob vibes, Conan crushing tones. From the opening feedback, to the feedback at albums end, Prologue has everything. Heavier than one hundred heavy things. Emotional with weight and eerie underlying melodies throughout that are amazingly beautiful. Poseidon will be making waves, or should I say…Poseidon will be making tsunamis. We are all going under, and we are all going to be swept away.

Steak “No God To Save” Album Review & Stream

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Steak

No God to Save – Vinyl // CD // DD 

Ripple Music – Released May 19, 2017

Reviewed by Aaron “Red Beard” Wall

 

Next up on the menu, is Steak. Not choice, not select, but prime. Meaty and juicy. Based out of London, this four piece of anthemic rock n roll goodness is marbled to perfection. Sprinkled with spices of fuzzy stoner tones, pounding rhythms and grungy vocals. The band consists of, Sammy on drums, and Cam on bass to fill out the massive rhythm section. Reece handles guitar and Kip is on vocals. Releasing two EP’s in 2012 and 2013 respectively, and the buzz building debut LP “Slab City”, Steak now is ready to sear the listener. New record “No God to Save” is out now on Ripple Music. The benchmark label of all heavy independents.

The record begins with the awesome ‘Overthrow.’  It starts with a completely fantastic riff, that is melodic, fuzzy, stoned out, and powerfully emotive. An extremely memorable riff that Steak let build until the thunderous rhythm section kicks in the groove. A really killer intro to this album. The main riff comes on like an avalanche as the band takes the energy up another notch. The vocals triumphantly come in and to me are very reminiscent of an old favorite band, Kilgore from the mid to late 90’s. Grunge-esque and executed very nicely. In my humble opinion, ‘Overthrow’ is the best track on the record…but don’t fret…this song may be the porterhouse, but the rest of the record has prime cuts all over it.

Live Shot

‘Coke Dick’ is next and starts with a slower paced groove that heavily lulls you into a slow head bob. Then the next second, Steak takes the tempo up more to the middle and smacks you right in the chops. A pure rock n roll jam.

‘Clones’ kicks off with a fuzzed out bassline from the desert. A weaving lead over the fuzzy low end, gives the song a lonesome feel. A journey to find oneself. Another anthem that could fill an arena just as comfortably as a dirty dingy UK club. Steak is at home in either, and anywhere in between.

‘King Lizard’ is a journey across an atmosphere thick with heaviness and spectacle. The energy throughout the first half of the record stays interesting and very high.

‘Living Like a Rat’ hits hard as hell from the jump, and pummels until a small reprise halfway through, that leads in to the heaviest part of the ‘No God to Save.’ The second half of this standout track beats you down and tenderizes your brain, in the best possible way.

‘Mountain,’ Rough House,’ and ‘Creeper,’ keep the emotion level to a peak that ‘No God to Save’ maintains from front to back. Powerful and stunning riffs, along with amazing bass and drum work. Vocal that never fail to soar on the choruses and verses that retain grit.

The final two tracks wind the record down. ‘Wickerman’ reminds me of a very heavy Pearl Jam. Steak has  a little bit of everything on this album. Fuzzy and stoner, with a grungy aesthetic. Triumphant rock n roll. Pure and simple.

Closing track ‘The Ebb’ is an acoustic instrumental that lets the listener down easy after an album full of rocker after rocker, jam after jam.

Steak are like I said previously, prime beef. Fatty, thick, juicy, sizzling, and with the bone in. ‘No God to Save is chock full of animal protein. If you like you meat cooked rare and a little bloody, then give Steak a taste…and enjoy the flavor.

My sincerest apologies for all the clichés…not really though. All Hail!

Pro Band Shot