T'is The Season To Be Sludgy... Again!...

Alas, we're at the end of another year and we all didn't die last Friday. So to celebrate that fact here's our awesome annual collection of all the best stuff we received throughout the year. Yup, 54 tracks of stoner rock, sludge, doom, metal, post rock, post metal, psych and hardcore...

Riding With The Devil Vol. 2 (320kbps)

A big thank you goes out to all the bands and friends who were great enough to hit us up with their work and go on to use it for this cd. More massive thanks go out to; all at Cavity Records, Devouter Records, Go Down Records, Kozmik Records, The Mylene Sheath, Ripple Music and Thirty Days Of Night Records for generally being top notch chaps.

See all you bitches in the new year!
~ Jay

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I'm Back! And I Bring Swedes!

Bottlecap - Self Titled (2012)

Fellow riders, I have returned from the desolate wastelands of sleepless nights, eye strains and headaches: school-work. I've been going through some very important steps toward my college education and I apologize to all of you for skipping out on writing for this behemoth of a blog. 

While I was gone, we were contacted by Bottlecap, our latest addition to the list of awesome Sweidish bands. When this trio contacted us, they described themselves as a stage-eating band, and after hearing their music and seeing their live videos, I could not come up with a more accurate description. they kick all kinds of ass with their raw guitar tones, kickin' drums, and gritty vocals. All the songs in the album have a really nice combination of punk energy with garage band scales and riffs. The vocalist's style makes me think of some kind of combination of a younger more garage rocky Lemmy Kilmeister with Iggy Pop. The guitarist has a tone that I've heard before but never hear someone use it for an entire song: it's a combination of fuzz and a harmonizer which is an effect that pretty much clones the guitar signal into another signal in a different pitch. The album is jam-packed with headbangin grooves and they managed to throw a clean ballad in there just to get a cherry on top of this great album.

~Bernardo

For Fans Of; The White Stripes, The Datsuns, The D4, The BellRays, 

Website - Facebook - Soundcloud

And From The Ashes...

War Wolf - Riding With Demons (2012)

I for one was pretty gutted when earlier in the year Ant dropped me a line to tell me the mighty Dopefight were breaking up. But fortunately for us Paul, Ant and fellow buddy Oli already had their contingency plan in motion, and so War Wolf was born. Little time past between the spawning of the band and heading into the studio. But instead of just cranking out the typical rushed demo down at the local studio, the trio pissed off to Canada. Bit of an unprecedented move I know, but not without reason, as good friend and Yoda like recording master Nick Kinnish moved there a few years back. Not a house hold name I grant you, and certainly a hell of a way to travel but Nick's catalog of work at the mixing desk with the likes of Architects, Throats, Johnny Truant and of course Dopefight really speaks for itself.
So with the quality of the final production pretty much a sure thing, what exactly can you expect from War Wolf? Well, if you're waiting for Dopefight 2.0 then, I'm sorry to burst your bubble. A safer bet would be to expect a series of sonic bursts consisting of both classic rock and post punk inspired riffage all accompanied with a health dose of angered roaring and Ant's awesome ferocious drumming. Totalling less than 15 minutes the album kind of reminds me of Agoraphobic Nosebleed's side of The Poacher Diaries but slightly less... clinical? Keeping that fine balance of catchy guitars, gut wrenching vocals, occasional machine gun like drum beats and a smattering of samples, then wrapped up and presented to you with all the subtlety of a shotgun blast to the face.
The long and short of it is, if you've ever had even a passing interest in the mixture of hardcore and sludge then this is gonna be right up your alley. Whats more, Headless Guru Records are going to be pressing it on lovely 10" in February, so keep your eyes peeled for that!
~ Jay

For Fans Of; Trap Them, Iron Witch, Grime, Swarm Of Spheres, Starve

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Riding With Demons (320kbps)

News...

Firstly, apologies for the week off... Between work, the upcoming holiday and illness it's been a bit of a struggle. Normality shall return on monday though, as Bernardo takes the reigns of the blog for a few weeks while I'm on the oposite side of the world. Keep emailing us your bands though!

New Vinyl Releases -
Mamiffer/Pyramids - Split EP (Hydra Head)
Doomrider - Black Thuner (Reissue) (Magic Bullet)
This Will Destroy You - Young Mountain (Reissue) (Magic Bullet)
Black Sabbath - The Vinyl Collection 1970-1978 (Napalm)
Earthling Society - Zodiak (Nasomi)
Nails - Obscene Humanity 7" (Southern Lord)

Vinyl Pre-Orders -
No Reality - Beyond Infinite (Thirty Days Of Night)

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Don't forget our big prize draw at the end of the year people!
Our box of goodies is getting bigger and bigger each week. We've got shirts from Dopefight, Gurt and Church Of Misery, cd's from Sleep (limited edition), Sonic Flower (limited edition), Stubb, Trippy Wicked, Ivy Garden Of The Desert and loads more. Some great signed 7" and 12" vinyl as well as some cassettes, posters and loads of stickers.

To be in for a chance to win the lot just drop us a donation and you'll go in to the draw at the end of the year. Every 5 bucks you donate gets you a ticket in the hat.

We really appreciate all donations big or small, they really help out for the costs of keeping the blog running. So to all those who have donated already, thank you!

~

If you want you're band reviewed on the blog, would like us to add you're company or store our links page, have us mention you're new release above or would like to send us any physical merch (which is always massively appreciated!) then just drop us an email.

Remember to like us on Facebook, subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us here on Blogspot.

A Shower Of Bastards...

The Gentleman Bastards - Self Titled (2012)

Bit of a long overdue change of pase for today. I love me some sludge and doom, but I must confess I my heart has always been within the realms of classic, southern and dirty old stoner rock. So being as these Alabama bastards tick all those boxes and more it's safe to say I'm onto a personal winner.
Wallowing in a heathy dose of your typical southern rock style, the album actually rests on the more gentle side of the genre. Sounding distinctly modern in its composition it's tone well and truly lies somewhere back within the 70's amongst the likes of Cactus, Mountain and Black Oak Arkansas. Which suits me just fine as I've always maintained that I was born 30 years too late. Either way your pendulum swings, whether you prefer your modern or classic heavy rock there's something here for you. The little twinges of Soundgarden esque licks that leak through from time to time I can really do without. Thats more of a personal preference and down to my sheer dislike of Chris Cornell though if I'm honest so it shouldn't reflect on these fellas in the slightest. Hell, it only takes about 20 seconds to realise these chaps have potential by the bucket load. Though, I do think that if they could wrangle a decent veteran recording engineer and mixer that have an established track record I think they could just push the envelope that little bit further and go from good to bloody brilliant and possibly start giving the big boys a run for their money. But that all takes money, so c'mon, if you wanna hear more from the Bastards' drop them a few bucks...
~ Jay

For Fans Of; Clutch, Gentlemans Pistols, Blowback, Thunderfist, DeepSeaGreen  

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The Gentleman Bastards (320kbps)

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Berlin Bruisers...

The Trollenberg Terror - Orchid/Dahlia (2012)

Fancy destroying your eardrums for a few days? Well, Germany's The Trollenberg Terror may have just the tonic, or should I say tonic's because the trio have actually offered up a couple of head crushing albums this year alone.
The first, from back in May is Orchid, a relentless blitzkrieg of an album dropped to a tuning evidently devised by Satan himself... Or Agoraphobic Nosebleed. Stomping a path through a variety of genres, the guys never really set up shop in any particular one for too long. With a clear and present respect an appreciation for sludge and all subgenres, it's easy to get lulled into a sense that you're listening to another down tempo NOLA kind of act. That thought is quickly washed away with torrents upon torrents of grindcore, hardcore, doom, stoner rock and good ol' plain metal (to name just a few elements). Managing to stay within the confines of 'varied' without straying into 'confusingly convoluted' is a difficult line to tread when doing this but they just manage it, by the skin of their teeth. The result, in most places is actually bloody impressive, especially within the moments of riff heavy breaks overlapped with screamed vocals.
The second and most recent offering Dahlia treads in very much familiar footsteps. All those same combinations of elements are there in all their glory, but this time around they seem to have a slightly more focused and metal like finish to them. What ever your prefer taste maybe you'll find it here. The wider your tastes, the more you'll dig The Trollenberg Terror, that much I can guarantee.
~ Jay

For Fans Of; Soilent Green, Discordance Axis, 3 Stages Of Pain, Gore Beyond Necropsy, Siege  

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Orchid (320kbps) • Dahlia (320kbps)

Doom & Gloom...

Asilo - Geografías / Wardance EP (2012)

If you like crusty doom with a heavy drone feel then Argentina's Asilo are gonna be right up your street. If however you don't then you may as well bugger off and come back on monday because I will admit now, this little two track EP is an acquired taste. 

Imagine a Mayhem 7" being played at 33rpm and you'll be set with a pretty accurate mental image. The EP itself is serving as a bit of a prerequisite for the full length album thats currently in the works. Sounding like a basement full of trolls being tortured as tar is being slowly pumped into the room, Asilo really have carved out their own little niche here when it comes to unorthodox doom. Rocking a keyboard, drums and two bass players (yes, thats right, two bass players and no guitar!) their back catalog can't exactly be described as rapid. Trudging along like a big black behemoth in a haze of bong smoke the guys have managed to capture the true nature of doom... Then beat it relentlessly with elements of drone, black metal and the very occasional hint of sludge. 

It's a pretty progressive affair from start to finish and like I mentioned before, not to everyones taste. But for those of you that like to push the boundaries a little, its well worth checking out!

~ Jay

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EP (320kbps)

Defenders Of The Universe?...

Voltron - Kaventsmann (2012)

Since time began you've always been able to rely on the Germans for certain things; Punctuality, efficiency, questionable pornography and heavy industrial tunes. Oh, and a bizzare appreciation for David Hasselhoff, but I'm not prepared to really pull at that thread, so lets just stick with the heavy tunes part.
Hailing from the countries capital, Voltron formed back in 2002 and began life as a trio. Picking up additional members over the years only proved to really strengthen their sound. Building off a foundation of unorthodox industrial riffs and beats the guys now sit more comfortably within the confines of post metal, forging a sound more reminiscent of say Cult Of Luna or early Neurosis. The album begins deceptively gently before being swiftly kicked into overdrive and resonating with a down trodden thunderous anger. The ferociousness is dished out pretty copiously, even within the tracks that serve to bring down the tempo to slow mellow churn, Kato's vocals still bellows mercilessly in the foreground. With this in mind and coupled with the mix of slow and fast paced chugging you'd expect the album to slip into the realms of sludge right? We'll to be honest, in typical German style, the execution is somewhat clinical so it does manage to remain quite detached from that particular label. Which if you ask me is for the best, because it's clear the guys have honed and perfected the musical route they wish to follow and its clear that the choice was a good one.
If you hit up their Bandcamp page you'll be able to pick up a lovely diy version of the album on CD, and for the low low price of just €10, its a pretty good bargain too.
~ Jay

For Fans Of; Cult Of Luna, Nasum, Neurosis, House Of Low Culture, Year Of No Light

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Kaventsmann (320kbps)

Funky Monkey...

Cube - Self Titled (2012)

I will confess, when I was sent this I did take one look at the cover art and think "Awww, this ain't gonna be to my liking...". I'll bet my bollocks to a barn dance that some of you thought/are thinking the same thing. Well more fool me, because just give it 12 seconds... Really, thats all it'll take to win you over. The open riff to track one, Drive really paves the way for the rest of the album. Laying out a meandering mellow(ish) southern rock tone interspersed with the occasional funk riddled bass heavy break downs more commonly found on Chilli Peppers albums. It does work and the guys do manage to pull it all off successfully without clearly ripping off anyone else's style. The diverse mix of heavy rock, funk and even lounge meshes together pretty flawlessly throughout the entire record but occasionally it does sound a little bit hollow. They nailed the art of classic stoner riff, their psych infused fret work is spot on and they ooze more funk than Bootsy Collins's flairs, but I can't quite put my finger on whats missing, if anything at all. Maybe, it's trying to be a little too ambitious and therefore spreading itself too thinly? I really don't know, but don't get me wrong, it's an absolute cracker of an album. The guys show a real promise and a talent second to none. If they can progress even more on the next album then they'll definitely be up there giving the big boys a run for their money!
You can pay as much or as little as you like for the digital download, or part with the measly price of just $12 for a lovely (limited edition run of just 250) vinyl copy. Bargain!
~ Jay

For Fans Of; Clutch, Graveyard, Incubus, Gentlemans Pistols, Pet The Preacher

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Cube (320 kbps)

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There's No Place Like Home...

LeHunt - The Empty Space In Which We Live (2012)

I always feel somewhat of a fraud when it comes to reviewing hardcore bands, not because I have to lie through my teeth or anything, but just because I'm generally not all that savvy when it comes to the genre. I've just never followed it with much attentiveness, so I always feel a little under qualified to actually wax lyrical when something like this arrives in my inbox. That being said, I find myself the lone writer on the blog once again, so y'all can go screw yourselves and take what ya given.

I will say this about Kansas's hardcore trio, their first outing really made me sit up and listen, which is very much a compliment coming from me, so when the guys dropped me a line I'll go as far as to say I was somewhat intrigued. Yeah, I know that that's quite the subdued exclamation, but remember this is coming from me, so it really should actually speak volumes of the band themselves.
Straight out the gates you can hear how the band have progressed from their debut EP The Prototype. The production's been clearly beefed up and mix is as close to perfect as you'll find from any band from any genre. But the improvements haven't just stopped there. All that bellowing anger has once again returned, by the bucket load, but everything all feels somewhat more disjointed than before, not so much in the vocals themselves but the general structure. Where the first outing felt more like an early Norma Jean this follow up, to me at least, feels like Converge lin comparison. I know to you more seasoned lovers of the genre out there thats probably like comparing apples to oranges, but like I said, screw you I'm doing my best here. There's also certain little elements of typical post rock that occasionally poke their heads out of the parapet in between the almost relentless bombardment of Jacob's roared vocals. Nothing too obvious or heavy handed, just little nuances and chords here and there that serve well to slightly break up the ferocity before it all gets too much.
Andy absolutely loves these guys and he truly knows what he's talking about when it comes to hardcore and its plethora of subgenres. So baring in mind this blows their first release well and truly out the water, I'd say you're in for a bloody good treat here!
~ Jay

For Fans Of; Converge, Norma Jean, The Chariot, Throats, Misery Signals,

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The Empty Space In Which We Live (320kbps)

Stoned In Sweden...

Molior Superum - Into The Sun (2012)

You can always rely on the good ol' Swedes to break out the old school influenced tunes when they're most needed. It's been a while since had a good classic rock sounding band appear in our inbox. We had planned to cover Graveyard's Lights Out, but between everyone and their mother dropping us tunes, the loss of writers and the fact that there's a load of outside parties trying to take us down you're just gonna have to settle with Molior Superum. Not a bad trade off if I'm totally honest, especially if like me you were born about 30 years too late and long for a time where gig tickets cost just a couple of bucks, bands had their own planes and you only had a choice between vinyl or 8 track. Well dig out your bong and strap yourself in because if you hadn't assumed by the cover art you're in for a good old fashioned bass heavy psych session.
Although the opening couple of tracks are sang in english the guys do revert back to their native tongue for the remaining half of the album. But don't let that put you off, what you may not understand wont by any means deteriorate the rest of the track(s). With the aforementioned bass heavy element throughout, coupled with an array of upbeat riffs the end result reminds me of the early years of Clutch. The unique style of rock that plays on all the best parts of stoner, southern and desert rock all rolled into one. It's pretty killer and whats more impressive is that the guys are able to keep it up for the entirety. Admittedly I'm not a huge fan of the instrumental prog like psych towards the end, maybe its a result of growing up on too much Yes or Genesis, but credit where credit's due, it's done bloody well! Few bands these days can truly pull off an organ, but Molior Superum have successfully made it into that minority.
~ Jay

For Fans Of; Clutch, Graveyard, Cactus, King Hobo, Dwellers

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Molior Superum (320kbps)

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In Space, Everyone Can Hear You Scream...

Supervoid - Endless Planets (2012)

Time for a little something that will, if you're like me, leave you somewhat confused and yet strangely satisfied upon completion. A bit like shagging a fat chick. I'm sure thats not the best way to open a review for a band, but screw it, you'll understand what I'm mean you listen. Because lets face it, the realms of space rock and black metal rarely cross paths. It just doesn't happen, well until this Pittsburgh five piece picked up their instruments at least. Supervoid have managed to cross not one boundary but several in one fowl swoop, and done so in just the space of two tracks. Opening to a fuzz of heavy space orientated psych Arcane Groves leads you into almost a false sense of security. Even when the vocals begin to kick in you feel somewhat safe in the knowledge that you're listening to something akin to a none Scandinavian Amorphis. That all comes barreling to a halt a couple of minutes in though when Brian unleashes an unexpected torrent of black metal esque vocals, effortlessly flowing from a deep growl to a screeching higher register. I must admit it initially knocked me off balance and the following couple of minutes of post rock style break down left me utterly baffled. But as soon as you accept and embrace the style it's instantly begins to grows on you. Then by the time the first 10 minutes have passed and you've been treated to additional elements of desert rock, post metal and prog, all interspersed with intermittent barrages of screaming and growling nothing seems at all out of place.
The guys really took a shot in the dark with the mix of genres on this one, it really could have gone either way. Biblically and embarrassingly awful, or refreshing at unique... I'm so glad it turned out to be the latter!
~ Jay

For Fans Of; In Flames, The Foreign Objects, Amorphis, Cave In, Architects 

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Endless Planets (320kbps)

Men At Work...

No Anchor - The Golden Bridge (2012)

The kings of DIY are finally back with a full length studio album and I could honestly not be anymore excited, seriously, feel these nipples!...
It's been a whole 18 months since the Aussie trio unleashed the biblically crushing Real Pain Supernova on us, but to their credit they never forgot about us. Back in march they raised the cash to put together their first 7", Rope/Pussyfootin' then in September they some how managed to find the time (between driving over 5500km and playing 20 shows in 30 days!) to knock together their first cassette The John Dominance Tapes. But that does kind of beg the question, where the hell did they find the time to get back in the studio!? Nonetheless, we should just be thankful that they did because The Golden Bridge is nothing short of utterly blinding. If you've yet to discover No Anchor but love your post metal a little on the unorthodox side then this will tick all the boxes. But do expect something a little different from the previous LP. Where Real Pain Supernova was as focused and chaotic as a 'fundamentalist with a coat full of semtex' The Golden Bridge is slightly more naked psychopath with a head full of bath salts. Both have the same brutal result, but the latter is just that little bit weirder and unnerving... It's almost defies explanation really. It's heavy, its fuzzy, it's methodical and in some parts it reminds me of Joy Division... But I'm not entirely sure if that can be attributed to the whiskey I've been downing for the last 3 hours.
It's rare that I urge, nay, beg you to go buy an album but when it comes to these guys you're severely fucking up if you don't. The chaps work their absolute nuts off and their love for the music shines through every aspect of their writing, recording, playing live and creation of the hand made merch more evidently than any band I've ever encountered. Their are few more worthy of your hard earned bucks then this bunch.
The deluxe version of the vinyl sold out in the blink of an eye you can however still pick up a good ol' black one or lovely bone/red mix... Lovely stuff!
~ Jay

For Fans Of; Isis, Boris, Jodis, Torche, House Of Low Culture

Website • Facebook • Myspace • Last FM • Bandcamp

All Hail The Heavy...

The Heavy Eyes - Maera, Demo EP (2012)

As most of you will no doubt agree these guys never fail impress. In fact I would go as far as to say that every time they announce a new release, be it EP or album they always manage to out do themselves. They've never failed me before and they sure as hell ain't failed me here. So now I've set the bar at a staggering high and possibly put the kiss of death on it, lets just crack on with the release in hand.
Consisting of just two tracks like its predecessor, the 'demo' is actually pretty much the final product and just somewhat of a teaser for the upcoming second album. Also, like their previous release its once again filled to bursting point with the guys own style of uptempo stoner blues. A classic last 60's/early 70's feel but with distinct modern high octane twist that the Memphis trio have very much made their own.
The release of the total four tracks showcasing the new material really bodes well for them, as in the past their demo's have proved to be way more that adequate for general release and more than often blow other similar bands final, polished and mastered efforts well and truly out the water. But working once again with Matt Qualls who oversaw the engineering of the self titled first album, expect nothing short of pure excellence when it comes to final product. Like goddamn ninja, Qualls is one of the few that is capable of treading that fine line between fuzz and clarity without tipping the scales too far in either direction.
I only actually have one gripe with this EP and it's the exactly the same I had with EP 2 from back in May; it's basically the musical equivalent of a hot girl fondling your junk for 15 minutes then pissing off home. You get all worked up and excited then before you know it you're back on your own wondering when you're gonna get the rest! Well hold on to those blue balls just a little longer because album number two is on route! Dropping around the end of December you'll be able to pick Maere up, once again via Kosmik Records. The chaps have promised to keep me updated on the vinyl pressing details so as soon as I know, you will too!
~ Jay

For Fans Of; Radio Moscow, Jack White, DeepSeaGreen, King Hobo, Ufesas

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Maera, Demo (320kbps)

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Two Heads Are Better Than One...

Wolfshead - Self Titled (2012)

You should really know what you're gonna be getting when you're faced with a band called 'Wolfshead' right? Normally I'd stand pretty vehemently behind that statement, especially as this little English outfit are a mere duo and sport more hair than viking naturalist convention. But give them a chance and they may just surprise you.
Opening track Warbringer whales with all the textbook foot stomping heavy rock riffs and deep churning vocals proclaiming tales of Nordic battles and strife... So pretty much nail on the head as far as expectations go, which is great by the way, no argument from me there. But when the 2:30 minutes pass you're swiftly met with a way more dark and sinister undertone as the guys practically switch from  Black Sabbath to Venom. It's unorthodox, I'll give them that. I can't see it being to all of your tastes but saying that, its so diverse and unexpected I can say with a degree of certainly that they will be at least a little something there for everyone.
~ Jay

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Wolfshead (320kbps)

Return Of The Prodigy...

Judd Madden - Artesian (2012)

To be fair this chap doesn't really need an introduction. I said all I really can about this one man post metal power of house when I hit y'all up with his back catalog earlier in the year. So just stop pissing around and just go and download his most recent blinding release Artesian.

~ Jay

For Fans Of; Pelican, Black Sabbath, Jodis, Tusk, Mountain Witch 

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Artesian (320kbps)

No Sausage Fest...

Beef Supreme - Self Titled (2012)

Y'know... I think this is our first female fronted band. I could be wrong (it rarely happens, but its been known), but I really cant think of another that we've covered in the last two years...
Either way, they're cracking, and for any guys out there that just turned their nose up when they read 'female fronted' just shut your mouth and open your ears for a minute because you're in for a treat. A southern rock, high tempo balls to the wall (no pun intended) treat in fact. The only problem I can really find with this little EP is that I feel at a loss when trying to compare them to someone you may already know. Not so much an issue when it comes to the music... If you imagine a slightly tamer Alabama Thunderpussy for starters then add a little touch of The Desert Sessions you're pretty much there. But it's proving more an issue when it comes to Niki's vocals... I've thought for a good hour or so now and the best I can really surmise is; imagine if PJ Harvey grew up listening to Skynyrd, AC/DC and ZZ Top... Yeah. I think that about works. It really is one of the best female vocals I've heard for a long long time and it compliments Lou and Macho's drum and bass.
It's only 4 tracks long but if they can keep up the same pace for a full album then they're onto a sure fire winner, especially if they can crank out more tunes like Jim Jones Country, which for me, really is the highlight of EP, if not my week. But to hell with it, hit up the link below and find out for yourself...
~ Jay

For Fans Of; The Sword, Fireball Ministry, Alabama Thunderpussy, Sasquatch, Raising Sand

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Beef Supreme (320kbps)

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Dark Spacey Psych...

Oceans Of Insects - Heathen Mythology (2012)

Back on the post metal train today. Well, sort of anyway. A thunderous clash where metal meets post metal would probably be more of a apt assessment of New York's Oceans Of Insects. They sort of straddle both genres for the best part. Keeping an upbeat typical metal dynamic while sneaking in a, for want of a better term, Hydra Head Records sort of sound. I cant quite put my finger on exactly what it is that makes them remind me of, say, early Cave In or Big Business but its there. Not so much in the vocal style but in the general make up of each song. But saying that, as the album progresses it takes on more and more unexpected elements and influences. From the opening track its easy to take away that aforementioned post metal view but as track two Sandcrawler kicks in you're met with humongous waves of what I can only describe as speed desert rock riffs. Then shortly after the tempo's dropped down and the harmony's picked up with a real sort of Incubus feel. Probably not to all your tastes but for those of you who do enjoy the vocals stylings of Brandon Boyd then you're in for a treat... For the next couple of songs at least, because once again the pace is picked back up and each track is interspersed with a slightly more aggressive stance... with a slight hint of space rock. Not really in a musical sense (I know that sounds weird but bare with me), but within the use of samples and mild drone. Which actually works really well to produce a pretty eerie dark psych sort of vibe that pretty much bookends the whole album. I for one am really digging it, and as its available at a price of your choosing so what more incentive do you need!?
~ Jay

For Fans Of; Dozer, Incubus, Cave In, Dust Bowl, Mars Red Sky

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Heathen Mythology (320kbps)

The Pillaging Dead...

Undead Viking Mafia - Ours, and Fairly Won (2012)

The great band names just keep rolling in this week as we return to Atlanta for another collection of thundering tracks from the guys who kicked off the blog at the very start of this year. Yup, UVM are back to their old tricks with a brand new EP, which hopefully is serving as a precursor to a new full length album, because every time I listen to these guys I'm always left yearning for bloody more. No difference with this latest outing either. Like Clutch meets Maylene, the crushing formular is once again a winning one. Following the single track release back in June for Vipers & Charlatans I kinda got the feeling the band were straying into slightly different waters. Sounding a bit more Black Label Society than much else, all the pinch chords and Zakk Wilde kinda fret work sort of left me on the back burner a bit. But where my faith was once shaken this little three track EP quickly quashed all doubts. Sounding a whole lot more focused and in some places slightly more tortured, each track feels like it's taking it's main influence from a different genre; Last Call - stoner, 500 Year Scotch - hardcore, Hello, My Carcass - southern rock. I love the idea, and because the guys can actually pull it off it works brilliantly. I just hope I'll be able to say the same when the next full length albums drops...
I'm pretty sure it will.
~ Jay

For Fans Of; Maylene & The Sons Of Disaster, Clutch, Superjoint Ritual, Cancer Bats, Suicidal Tendencies

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Ours, and Fairly Won (320kbps)

Right Out On Front Street...

Goat Bong - Goat Worship & Sodomy (2012)

You've gotta appreciate a band that just tells it like it is. So when you're faced with an album called Goat Worship & Sodomy, you really don't put off listening to it, do you?
So here we have San Antonio's one and only Goat Bong. A stoner band name if ever I've heard one, I'm sure you're thinking the same. So with a name like that you should have a pretty good idea of what you should be in for once you click play, naturally? Well, yes and very much no. Firstly they're not quite as heavy as you may expect, thats in noway a criticism by the way, just that on the face of things you've got a few misleading hints, namely some dark ages inspired cover art with the words 'Goat', 'Bong' and 'Sodomy' on it. Usually thats pretty cut and dry, but not here.
Taking a somewhat unorthodox approach to the stoner genre as a whole the guys have firstly done away with your typical vocal element, which lets face it, is the usual factor that determines your subgenre. Instead being replaced with a healthy dose of samples, which gives you a little bit more artistic licence when it comes to the general acoustic dynamics of the band. Something that they've clearly reveled in when it came to hitting the studio here. Thrashing around in the pool of genres Goat Bong have managed to swing effortlessly in and out of the likes of sludge, doom, thrash, blues, southern and even desert rock, sometimes all within the same song. Which to me doe's sound great, even if it's a pain in the ass when it comes to trying to comparing them to anyone else. For others I know that it initially sounds like a somewhat reckless and haphazard state of affairs, but trust me when I say, some how these guys have got to bloody work! Don't ask me how, because despite listening to the album about five or six times from start to finish I still can't get my head round it. What I can say though is you really don't miss the vocals. Whether it's the use of samples or the shear mix of different styles fused together I'm not too sure, but it just seems to satisfy you enough and distract you from really caring that theres no front man. It's different and as far as I'm aware probably one of the most unique records I've been hit up with this year and well worth the measly $4 asking price. If you are a tight fisted arsehole though, Michael from the band has been kind enough to offer up download codes (what a gentleman!), you can hit him up here.
~ Jay

For Fans Of; Karma To Burn, Dozer, Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats, Elder, At Devil Dirt

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Goat Worship & Sodomy (320kbps)

Just In Time For Halloween...

All Them Witches - Our Mother Electricity (2012)

This is the first time that I've ever had to pick what band I was going to review for my weekly blog post since this week we didn't get any emails requesting reviews. As much as I love writing reviews about stuff that I myself found, if you're in a band or know a good local band, don't be scared of sending us some tunes so we can help spread the word. On that note, I actually wasn't the one that directly found out about this band, but it was my good friend Thomas (avid bandcamp browser). He sent me their link one day and I've been completely hooked ever since. Alright, now onto the music...It's fucking mind-blowing. Sincerely one of the greatest examples of psychedelic heavy stoner blues rock. You probably didn't understand what I just described in the last sentence, but that's the entire point, this Nashville quintet has taken all of the best elements from so many different genres and made an album that is at the same time a complete throwback to the classics and immensely innovative. Let's take the lead guitar parts as an example, there are parts where they use slides (as you probably know slides are very common to blues music), and then the guitar starts laying down this amazing riff that doesn't even follow any traditional blues scales while all the instruments are down-tuned (something that's used in very modern heavy metal bands), but let's not forget that the constant fuzzy tone keeps everything together and makes the transitions unnoticeable. Oh yeah, by the way, this all happens WITHIN IN ONE SONG OUT OF EIGHT IN THE WHOLE ALBUM. The entire album is definitely one of the best I've heard all year and I think that if as the newest writer of the blog I'm allowed to make a contribution for our end of the year compilation, this would definitely be one of them. Please do yourself a huge favor and listen to these guys and let the world know about the sheer genius that is All Them Witches. Oh, and do them a favor by actually buying their album as well.
~Bernardo

For Fans Of; Queens Of The Stone Age, White Stripes, Led Zeppelin, The Datsuns, Wolfmother

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Blame It On The Chronic...

Tumbleweed Dealer - Death Rides Southwards EP (2012)

Boasting a name more worthy than most for playing stoner rock, Tumbleweed Dealer actually play a pretty unique mix of 70's inspired psych infused with modern stoner, desert and even a subtle hint of post rock. But forget that for the moment, lets give you the guys background...
Sometime in June of 2012, Seb Painchaud (member of The Last Felony, former member of Ion Dissonance, Nefastus Dies & Vatican) decided to indulge in the greeny goodness for the first time in years. Never one to do anything half way, in a few hours a three and half was turned into smoke and the inspiration hit him. He decided to write and record right then and there on his home studio some tracks inspired by bands like Earth and Horseback. Three songs were created that night and the following night he went at it again, creating two more songs, this time incorporating post-rock and math-rock influences. A few weeks went by, and the inspiration hit again and Seb, who had now returned to his old chronic self of yore, wrote and recorded a few more songs. All these songs were rough demos with simple drum loops and never meant for public consumption, but when he wrote and recorded Death Rides Southwards, he knew he had something. He knew he had found his sound.
In another drug filled evening with good friend and fellow The Last Felony band member Felix Roberge we’re rocking the tracks and decided to combine their efforts, and Felix would take over drum programming and supervise Seb’s hectic and drug laden recording sessions. Out of this collaboration came this Death Rides Southwards EP. Now the band is in the midst of recording its first full length album, entitled Dirt, once again in their home studio, and plan to release it and start doing the live rounds in early 2013. The guys have also now recruited Vincent Houde of Dopethrone as their drummer for both live shows and studio, and swear to keep drum tracks as is and avoid the over-editing that is plaguing the music scene these days.

For Fans Of; Earth, Mountain Witch, Horseback, Dixie Witch, Roadsaw

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Death Rides Southwards (320kbps)

If You Go Down To The Woods Today...

A View Of The Woods - Meant To Be (2012)

It's been a while since we've taken a trip down south to good old Oz, which is a sacrilege really because lets face it, they've got a pretty good track record on giving me things I really like; AC/DC, Chopper, The 12th Man, Mad Max and Kylie Minogue's arse. But better late than never I guess, especially if like me you're a down tempo, bluesy psych rock enthusiast.
The four Brisbanites may have only given us two tracks to wet our apetites with, but should it be your cup of tea I reckon it will leave you aching for more. Enthusing a style that lies somewhere between our hard rock favourites Pet The Preacher and Graveyard, A View's... sound does have a certain 'tint' more akin to many of the Scandinavian act that find they're way into our inbox. A wistful sort of psych with elements of classic rock and a hint of blues. Not the usual the sort of thing you hear coming from cricket loving, VB swigging Aussies. But after running this blog for the last couple of years, nothing really surprises me anymore.
Like I mentioned before, it's only a couple of tracks but if the guys can keep up the same pace then they're definitely gonna be onto a winner when it come to dropping a full length album. Even more so if they can knock out some equally cracking cover art!
~ Jay

For Fans Of; Graveyard, Pet The Preacher, DeepSeaGreen, The Heavy Eyes, Mars Red Sky

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Meant To Be (320kbps)

True Patriots...

Estoner - The Stump Will Rise (2012)

I think I've just found my latest pass time, listening to the music I'm going to review while in school. Seeing how the music provides a background for the scurrying about of the students in between hallways so that they can follow the educational system their parents love so much. When I slapped on my headphones while it was blasting out the first song on Estoner's The Stump Will Rise, I just saw that the image fit the music so well. The echoed vocals almost reminded me of a 1984-like Big Brother telling the students to hurry to their classes...or else there would be consequences. The combination of drop-tuned bass and guitars creates a perfect sense of both doom an psychedelic rock because of the way they switch on and off seamlessly between surplus amounts of fuzz and spacey reverbs and flangers. Also, the riffs vary between high-flying psych and doom landscapes and dirty blues headbangers.
This band comes all the way from the land north of Latvia...that's right,. they come from Estonia! Psychedelic music usually takes my imagination places if i'm not too busy, and this time i think it took me to Estonia....but I'm not exactly sure. I'm still amazed at the vast amount of countries that have such hidden gems as far as stoner rock bands go. And I'm even more surprised at the fact that I haven't found any in my neighborhood! Maybe I should move to Estonia. Or i can just help out the band by buying their album on Bandcamp, something you should do as well.
~Bernardo

 For Fans Of; Art As Catharsis, At Devil Dirt, Fuzzly, Ivy Garden Of The Desert, Stoned Jesus

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News...

New Vinyl Releases -

Old Man Gloom - Christmas (Reissue) (Hydra Head)
Hooded Menace - Effigies Of Evil (Relapse)
Krang/Shooting Guns - Split 7" (Psychic Handshake)
Fontanelle - Vitamin F (Southern Lord)
High On Fire - The Art Of Self Defence (Reissue) (Southern Lord)
Sleep - Dopesmoker (Reissue) (Southern Lord)
Eyehategod - New Orleans Is The New Vietnam 7" (Halloween Pressing)

Vinyl Pre-Orders -
Blueneck - Epilogue (Denovali)

Jodis - Black Curtain (Hydra Head)
Mamiffer/Pyramids - Split 12" (Hydra Head)

Graveyard - Lights Out (Nuclear Blast)

Aeges - Southern Comfort 7" (The Mylene Sheath)
Gifts From Enola - A Healthy Fear (The Mylene Sheath)

Black Tusk - Set The Dial (Relapse)

Pig Destroyer - Book Burner (Relapse)
Wo-Fat - The Black Code (Small Stone)

Martyr Defiled - In Shadows (Thirty Days Of Night)

The Sword - Apocryphon

Monobrow - Bennington Triangle Blues

~

Don't forget our big prize draw at the end of the year people!
Our box of goodies is getting bigger and bigger each week. We've got shirts from Dopefight, Gurt and Church Of Misery, cd's from Stubb, Trippy Wicked, Ivy Garden Of The Desert and loads more. Some great signed 7" and 12" vinyl as well as some cassettes, posters and loads of stickers.

To be in for a chance to win the lot just drop us a donation and you'll go in to the draw at the end of the year. Every 5 bucks you donate gets you a ticket in the hat.

We really appreciate all donations big or small, they really help out for the costs of keeping the blog running. So to all those who have donated already, thank you!

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If you want you're band reviewed on the blog, would like us to add you're company or store our links page, have us mention you're new release above or would like to send us any physical merch (which is always massively appreciated!) then just drop us an email.

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Epic Smoke Filled Sludge...

Mountain Goat - Self Titled (2012)

An extra special hot off the press Saturday Review for you guys today. Yup, I deemed it that important that I bring you this album asap!
Now, I know some of you have been awaiting this moment for quite some time, some may have even already got your hands on it, but for those completely oblivious... Oh boy do I have a treat for you.
For those of you not akin to the mighty Mountain Goat, just do your best to pull yourself away from the stunning artwork for one moment. What these guys may lack in classic album cover design they more than make up for in the ability to grind out mind bendingly awesome fuzz filled carnage. Teasing us for the last year and a half with just three EP's the Michigan trio benchmark to date has been their limited edition two track 7" Smoke Filled Land which became an instant underground hit and consequently became like rocking horse shit to find. Rightly so too. The classic combination of weed, groove, overdrive and DIY recording made it an absolutely blinding listen. Like a explosion of Eyehategod and Electric Wizard, the vinyl really cemented the band's status as potential giant killers.
So with such and impressive collection of pre album releases could the bands history really be their undoing here?... No, is the answer to that question. Well, 'hell no!' would be more accurate to be fair. Not a single shred of form has been lost or compromised throughout the entirety of the 46 minute runtime of this little beauty. Comprising of the guy's same well honed ethos of distant sounding vocals, churning riffs and more fuzz than you can shake a bong at, this new offering also strives to cover new ground. Going straight for the jugular, the angry uncompromising growling and rumbling through the first three tracks really adds a great sludge aspect to the bands virtuosity, not to mention the fact that echoes so vividly of the late great Iron Monkey to boot. If thats not a shining recommendation, I don't know what is. But just like the Monkey, and many others, elements of the classic sludge inspiring punk years are also apparent in tracks like Live Fast Or Die Drunk and Rites & Rituals. The real kicker for me though, and one of the really stand out elements of this album is the absolutely killer execution of the closing track Space. A 15 minute weed infused orgy of psych, space and doom style guitar taming in a tuning so low it rattles the very gates of hell.
It's been long anticipated, and where that can often be a band's Achilles heel, not here. Nope, Mountain Goat once again don't even slightly fail to hit the mark. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that if you label yourself a fan of the genre and you don't dig this album you may as well just put a shotgun in your mouth and try and pull the trigger with your toe, because it really doesn't get much better than this.
As soon as I get off my ass and update our top releases for 2012, this little beauty is gonna be slapped right up there. In the meantime please please please give the guy's a hand and pitch them a few bucks, if not for this worthwhile gem, then via their Big Cartel page, as if they can raise enough we could be seeing this get an outing on wax!
~ Jay

For Fans Of; Iron Monkey, Dopefight, Doomriders, Goatsnake, Raging Speedhorn

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Mountain Goat (320kbps)