Calling Forth The Demon of Smoke...

Tempter - The Summon (2013)

First things first when giving Tempter a listen: the band is a juggernaut blurring the lines between metal, groove and stoner rock. It is important to keep all of this in mind because Tempter has recently unleashed their debut EP upon the world and I'm not sure it is ready to handle such a masterful miss-mash of music that hits hard and rattles some bones.

Wasting little time getting to break-neck riffs backed with coarse (yet surprisingly fluid) vocals, Tempter flexes their metal muscles first with opener "Barbarus," a crushing tune reminiscent of late 90's nu-metal with a hint of Rage Against The Machine via neck-traveling, sweeping solos. Never truly losing that "heavy" feeling throughout the album, Tempter does display calmer moments and segues that call to mind much funkier elements (think Clutch) that transform the full speed tempo of most songs into a head-bobbng, shoe-gazing trip. The album's drumming is also a major highlight given the incredibly clean sound and speed variations. At the drop of a hat, the album's percussions switch from a wreck of smashes and clashes to quick hits and high-hat rides that play perfectly with the rest of the record's ever-changing style.

Channeling a love for stoner culture, Tempter appear to have a clear vision of where they are headed in today's scene. Playing with both a sense of seriousness and playfulness, the band knows how to shred and keep the mood only as dark as they feel; a strong sense of control over the music they are creating, which often times can be a daunting task in a world that blends genres and flips trends every hour. Hopefully the band will find its footing in its native Mexico and hurriedly travel to the U.S., where I believe their sound would truly catch on with many metal/stoner connoisseurs.

~Joe

For Fans Of; Amebix, Helmet, Karma To Burn, High On Fire

 Facebook • Bandcamp

The Summon (name your price)

~

All Roaring, No Snoring...

Mangrenade - Lions In The Parking Lot (2013)

I'm back from being either too sick, too hungover, or too much of both! As are Mangrenade (although I suspect they've been more hungover than sick)! Granted, the last we heard of 'em was back in January with their last EP More Than A Handful, so it hasn't been long, but a new Mangrenade EP is always something to be excited about! And they daren't disappoint, Lions In The Parking lot is (once again) a hard hitting, pumped up, upside down drunk rock 'n' roll. I mean, Swagger Turn To Stagger off of their last EP is kinda the new anthem of my favorite bar, and this 'un packs no less punch. Nor does it drink less of the same.

Now, this new little EP doesn't bring much of a surprise from the Mangrenade front, but I like to compare this band to being drunk: it doesn't really bring anything refreshing to the table once you've experienced it already, but is stays fun! It's the same kind of dirty brew they've been concocting earlier, but Mangrenade still manage to keep everything exciting. That's why I love these guys. 

Lions In The Parking Lot does have somewhat of a different sound than More Than A Handful though. Where the latter was more of the really dirty and really catchy kind, the latest is more of the really catchy and really dirty kind. Not too much difference there, but the little nuances should be appreciated. On a more serious note; in the little amount of time between the releases the Cincinnatian trio do seem to have made some progress. Everything just sounds a little smoother and the wild bunch seem to work together a little tighter, and the hard work pays off in a great EP, which you guys are gonna pay for. Really, you should.

~ Ruben

For Fans Of; Rainbows Are Free, Kadavar, The Heavy Eyes, The Black Widow's Project, The Atomic Bitchwax

Website • Facebook • Bandcamp

Lions In The Parking Lot

~

News...

It's been a busy, busy week for both our affiliates. STB Records have finalised their awesome Spelljammer limited cassette, which is available right now from the STB Store! They went up yesterday afternoon and they're flying out the door, so go part with a few bucks while you can!
As for future STB releases, here's what you can expect...

Doctor Doom ~ Self Titled (September)
Brimstone Coven ~ Self Titled (TBA)
Drug Lord ~ TBA


Easy Rider Records are also on top form. The cassettes for Sleep, Kadavar, and as of today Orchid are now up for sale, as well as the beautiful looking Salem's Pot reissue. Here's what else is coming... 

Witchcraft ~ Legend (3rd August)

Graveyard ~ Hisengen Blues (10th August)

Graveyard ~ Lights Out (17th August)

Suns Of Huns ~ Banishment Ritual (TBA)

Red Desert ~ Damned By Fate (TBA)

~

Tour News -

Sweden's fantastic Molior Superum are hitting the roads or Europe! Unfortunately they're not getting over to my shores, but if they happen to be hitting up your neighbourhood you'd be completely retarded to miss them!...
July 27th - SE Henriksberg, Gothenburg /w Nocturnal + TBA
August 3th - DE White Trash, Berlin.
 August 4th - DE Art Club, Regensburg. w/Limestone Whale
August 5th - DE The Exit, Schwandorf w/Limestone Whale
August 6th - DE Garage Deluxe, München w/ Limestone Whale
August 8th - AT Derwisch/ Stoner rock night, Vienna w/Torso
 August 9th - HUN R33/Shaman Smoke, Budapest
 August 10th - AT Lake On Fire Festival


~


Site News -

Our artist page is now live! So if you've done, or are looking to do some album design then feel free to drop us a line.  

If you didn't catch it last week our compilations on Bandcamp!
They're up for 'name your price', but any and all proceeds will go towards paying for the site upkeep (including bloody Bandcamp itself) so we can keep bring you stuff for free and don't get slapped with any restrictions.
Everyone who actually pays for the cd will automatically go into the draw to with a ton of stuff at the end of the year! 

~

New Vinyl Releases -

Acid Witch ~ Witchtanic Hellucinations (Reissue) (Hell's Headbangers)
Brutus ~ Behind The Sun (Svart Records)
Centuries ~ Broken Hymns (This Charming Man)

Crowbar ~ Broken Glass (Emetic)
Dark Buddha Rising ~ Dakhmandel (Svart)
Elder ~ Self Titled (Reissued) (Headspin Records)
Harvester ~ Blind Summet Recordings (Freak Flag Recordings)
High On Fire ~ Surrounded By Thieves (Reissue) (Relapse)
Isis ~ Celestial (Reissue) (Ipecac)
Lo-Pan ~ Sasquanaut (Small Stone Records)
Old Man Gloom ~ No (Reissue) (Hydra Head Records)
The Re-Stoned ~ Re-Sessions V.3 (Nasoni Records)
Salem's Pot ~ Watch Me Kill You (Reissue) (Easy Rider Records)
Stoned Jesus ~ Electric Mistress 7" (Nasoni Records)
Temple Of The Smoke ~ The Lost Art Of Twilight (Cosmic Eye)
Tsar Bomba ~ Silent Queen (Self Release)

Thumlock ~ Emerald Liquid Odyssey (Kozmik Artifatz)

Toxic Shock ~ Daily Demons (Reflections Records)

New Pre-orders/Upcoming Releases -

Black Prism ~ Satan's Country (Easy Rider Records)
Black Tusk ~ Tend No Wounds (Relapse)
Carcass ~ Surgical Steel (Nuclear Blast Records)
Causa Sui ~ Euporie Tide (El Paraiso Records)
Coffins ~ The Fleshland (Relapse)
Evile ~ Skull (Earache)
Head In The Dirt ~ The Blind Hole (Southern Lord)
High On Fire ~ Spitting Fire Live,Vol. 1 (Relapse)
Lento / Tons ~ Split LP (Heavy Psych Sounds)
Pelican ~ Deny The Absolute 7" (Mylene Sheath)

Sleep ~ Dopesmoker (Reissue) (Southern Lord)

Vista Chino ~ Peace (Napalm Records)
Windhand ~ Soma (Relapse)

~

Video Of The Week -

Brimstone Coven ~ Son Of The Morning...

~

                                                       

~

The Dark Side Of The Prism...

Black Prism ~ Satan's Country (2013)

It's a really quick update today, so I apologise in advance. Well, actually, scrap that, no I don't. It's only one song, so how long do you expect me to wax lyrical about a single track? Still, it is one hell of a track. So much so, I've had it playing pretty much non stop for the last week or so, and if you've got a brain in your skull then you really should be following bloody suit.
Over the last couple of years the whole acid rock scene has gradually picked up pace and gained a huge resurgence. I say resurgence... I can't really recall much prior to Uncle Acid's Blood Lust if I'm honest. All those bands that really founded the scene and sound back in the day really fall into the whole classic rock bracket. It's kind of strange because all the elements have been pretty prevalent for as long as I can remember; the occult imagery, the slightly higher pitched doom style riffage and a vocal style that echo's of a young Ozzy. There's truly nothing new under sun, but that being said, the concoction of all those elements, in the right order, still make for one belter of a tune and Black Prism have absolutely nailed the recipe. It's a cardinal sin to really judge a band on the strength of just one track, but Satan's Country is absolutely swimming in excellence and I'd be utterly astonished if some of that quality hasn't splashed onto at least a couple more tracks they have up their sleeve. Either way, I'm bloody dying to find out.

It may just be the whiskey talking (I'm currently half way through a bottle of Jim Beam Devil's Cut) but I swear, I'd kill a nun with a brick if it got meant I go to have full length album by these guys right now! Still, I can reside in the knowledge that soon, one of Easy Rider Record's gorgeous little 7" pressings will soon be in my possession [cue evil laugh]. I suggest y'all join me and high tail it over to the store and pre-order yours too, because these are gonna be gone faster than a whores draws.
~ Jay

For Fans Of; Uncle Acid & The Dead Beats, Windhand, Moon Curse, Salem's Pot, 

Facebook • Myspace

~

A Scaly Kingdom...

The Serpent Overlord - Nos Disperdere Nos (2013)

The mighty, open plains of Kansas must contain some hidden patches of really good weed. That weed, quite possibly, found its way to the dudes in The Serpent Overlord. Those dudes then whipped together one hell of a hazy, dark and spacey EP traversing all of the best elements that work in stoner rock and doom today. Oh yeah, and they did it in a musty basement, like 'Mericans!

Bullshit aside, The Serpent Overlord's latest offering takes the listener down a winding trail of airy, reverberating guitars and hushed vocals reminiscent of a hippie retreat to the forest before, suddenly, that same forest bursts into flames and is haunted on all sides by giant monsters and demons. Extreme shifts in the vocals from near whispers to growls create a strong dynamic in the band's songs, lending a helping hand to the similar changes in music. The light guitar work bursts into shred sessions and lengthy solos (which luckily don't become stale) that are bolstered by heavy, relentless drumming.

What works best for the album is the underlying material for which the band uses for inspiration, namely mythical beasts and witches. In listening to Nos Disperdere Nos, one should not assume that all of the songs are necessarily connected, but multiple listens create a sense of unity, as though the band is orating an ancient prophecy that is yet to occur. The back half of the album, comprised of "Witch's Cunt" and "Redemption," is the highlight of the effort, consisting of longer tracks that push forth the album's best concepts and showcases the musical talents of the band. "Redemption" begins with a series of simply strummed chords and echoing vocals (an aesthetic that holds course for the better half of the 11-minute ballad) before erupting into a back-and-forth of riffs and hummed-out bass lines that fade and re-enter the track (creating a great complexity amongst the seemingly traditional stoner sound).    As quickly as it all started, the song fades into its final moments of fleeting reverb and amp squeals, rounding out with a strong, memorable finish that almost seems too good for an EP.

With such a strong sound and inspired style, it would be a shame if Nos Disperdere Nos didn't receive the colored vinyl treatment (wink,wink).

~Joe

For Fans Of; Lightning Bolt, Hella, Slint, Black Prism

Facebook • Bandcamp

Nos Disperdere Nos (name your price)

Great White Goblins...

Chron Goblin ~ One Million From The Top (2012)

I'll admit it, when I first hit play on Chron Goblin's One Million From The Top, I wasn't sold...
No, no, maybe thats a little strong. Hmmm, maybe just a little blindsided...? It wasn't exactly what I was expecting from the outset. I'm not sure why, but that being said they very quickly won me over. Their off kilter harmonic, relentless party beat and unorthodox yet nicely subtle slant on whats probably closest to southern rock without actually being desert rock is amazingly charming. But what else would you expect from four Canadians? They're all bloody awesome. At least those I've met. Including the toothless one's trying to kill me on the ice. Salt of the earth kinda people.
But anyway, back on track. Like I was saying, these guys really exude that high octane party sort of vibe, like an early Refused, but trading in some of that punky off beat style for more of a riff based approach. This is where their understated southern rock side really shines through, well, that coupled with a touch of desert rock and a slight smattering of post hardcore. It's boast a great selection of licks that really manage to breath a nice breath of fresh air into the whole style. Sort of clashing post punk with some of Nola's finest offerings. It's a strange mix on the face of it I grant you, and it's rarely something that would be up my street, but it all gels together so bloody well that it's nigh on impossible not to love. Like Russia's Grand Astoria there's everything you could possibly ask for there in droves; catching riffs, great vocals and a beat that will just hypnotise your feet into stomping along. I can't be the only one that thinks so either because the guys haven't just being the only Canadian band to play London's Desertfest but they've also supported the likes of 3 Inches Of Blood, Devin Townsend and the mighty Weedeater! Not too shabby eh? But they're not resting on their laurels, oh no, they'll be hitting Canada's west coast for a tour in late September and have a brand spanking new album in the works, titled Life For The Living, which will drop just prior, on September 15th.
~ Jay

For Fans Of; Refused, The Grand Astoria, Winnebago Deal, Beef Supreme, No Fuzz

Website • Facebook • Myspace • LastFM • ReverbNation

Chron Goblin (120kbps)

~

Leading The Puig To The Slaughter...

Puig Destroyer - Puig Destroyer EP (2013)

Seeing as Tim Lambesis' murder-for-hire plot may put joke metal outfit Austrian Death Machine's third release on hold for a while, I present to you the epitome of grindcore at its hardest: Puig Destroyer. While I understand baseball isn't everyone's cup of tea, you have to sort of wonder how well a dude can swing a bat and knock some out of the park in order for a band to take your last name and mash it up with Pig Destroyer. Sports fan or not, Puig Destroyer's recently released EP pays all sort of homage to the Los Angeles Dodgers rookie outfielder Yasiel Puig while maintaining a blistering pace that will you leave you reeling.

Consisting of Thrice drummer Riley Breckenridge, ex-Curl Up and Die vocalist Mike Minnick and Kowloon Walled City's guitarist Jon Howell and bassist Ian Miller, Puig Destroyer does their best to shatter your eardrums in record time while showcasing the truly "metal-as-fuck" side of Major League Baseball. Although Breckenridge sticks to the skins in the band, his backing vocals are a strong supporting act to those of Minnick, often generating a sound akin to two lions fighting over a zebra carcass. The rest of the effort is solid as well, with Howell and Miller thrashing right along, spitting their sunflower seeds and popping their bubblegum.

While no one track lasts longer than around a minute, the album shows promise as to where the band could form a fully listenable effort, even if the material may only appeal to those who happen to both embrace the majesties of grindcore and professional baseball. That being said, I can't help but completely hop onboard with this latest "tribute" band from the metal world.

As one would expect, such an endeavor has not escaped the greatness of colored vinyl pressing. Pre-orders are up now at The Ghost Is Clear Records, including a standard pressing on black or a special edition on split blue and white featuring the L.A. Dodgers insignia. If you're not totally convinced, hop on over to PD's Bandcamp and check out the entire EP for any price you'd like.

~Joe

For Fans Of; Black Breath, Pulling Teeth, Harms Way, Loma Prieta

Facebook • Bandcamp

Puig Destroyer (name your price)

~

News...

If you missed it last week you may not have caught up with some of the upcoming releases from Easy Rider Records... 

Slow Season ~ Heavy 7" (Now)
Sleep ~ Holy Mountain (14th July)

Kadavar ~ Abra Kadavar (20th July)

Orchid ~ Mouths Of The Madness (27th July)

Witchcraft ~ Legend (3rd August)

Graveyard ~ Hisengen Blues (10th August)

Graveyard ~ Lights Out (17th August)
Black Prism ~ Satan's Country (August)
Salem's Pot ~ Watch Me Kill You (Reissue) (August)

Suns Of Huns ~ Banishment Ritual (TBA)

Red Desert ~ Damned By Fate (TBA)

Did you miss the sexy Spelljammer Vol. II vinyl press by STB Records? Well you've got the opportunity to redeem yourself, as a cracking little tape pressing is in the works. Go over to the STB Records Facebook page and check out the great little Diehard editions that are being wrapped up.

Tour News -

Sweden's fantastic Molior Superum are hitting the roads or Europe! Unfortunately they're not getting over to my shores, but if they happen to be hitting up your neighbourhood you'd be completely retarded to miss them!...
July 27th - SE Henriksberg, Gothenburg /w Nocturnal + TBA
August 3th - DE White Trash, Berlin.
 August 4th - DE Art Club, Regensburg. w/Limestone Whale
August 5th - DE The Exit, Schwandorf w/Limestone Whale
August 6th - DE Garage Deluxe, München w/ Limestone Whale
August 8th - AT Derwisch/ Stoner rock night, Vienna w/Torso
 August 9th - HUN R33/Shaman Smoke, Budapest
 August 10th - AT Lake On Fire Festival

~


Site News -

Our artist page is now live! So if you've done, or are looking to do some album design then feel free to drop us a line.  

If you didn't catch it last week our compilations on Bandcamp!
They're up for 'name your price', but any and all proceeds will go towards paying for the site upkeep (including bloody Bandcamp itself) so we can keep bring you stuff for free and don't get slapped with any restrictions.
Everyone who actually pays for the cd will automatically go into the draw to with a ton of stuff at the end of the year! 

We also have new affiliate!
Now, we don't condone drugs, but they are awesome. Well, maybe not heroin or meth, but you get the point. Besides, this is a stoner rock orientated site... so with that in mind we give you...

They're a fantastic little dutch company that we do actually use pretty regularly. We really love them, so you should head on over and check them out.

~

New Vinyl Releases -

Brutus ~ Behind The Sun (Svart Records)
Centuries ~ Broken Hymns (This Charming Man)

Crowbar ~ Broken Glass (Emetic)
Dopethrone ~ Dark Foil (Totem Cat Records)
Egypt ~ Become The Sun (Doomentia)
Elder ~ Self Titled (Reissued) (Headspin Records)
Harvester ~ Blind Summet Recordings (Freak Flag Recordings)
High On Fire ~ Surrounded By Thieves (Reissue) (Relapse)
Isis ~ Celestial (Reissue) (Ipecac)
Lo-Pan ~ Sasquanaut (Small Stone Records)
Old Man Gloom ~ No (Reissue) (Hydra Head Records)
The Re-Stoned ~ Re-Sessions V.3 (Nasoni Records)
Stoned Jesus ~ Electric Mistress 7" (Nasoni Records)
Temple Of The Smoke ~ The Lost Art Of Twilight (Cosmic Eye)

Thumlock ~ Emerald Liquid Odyssey (Kozmik Artifatz)

Toxic Shock ~ Daily Demons (Reflections Records)

New Pre-orders/Upcoming Releases -

Black Tusk ~ Tend No Wounds (Relapse)
Carcass ~ Surgical Steel (Nuclear Blast Records)
Causa Sui ~ Euporie Tide (El Paraiso Records)
Coffins ~ The Fleshland (Relapse)
Evile ~ Skull (Earache)
Head In The Dirt ~ The Blind Hole (Southern Lord)
High On Fire ~ Spitting Fire Live,Vol. 1 (Relapse)
Lento / Tons ~ Split LP (Heavy Psych Sounds)
Pelican ~ Deny The Absolute 7" (Mylene Sheath)

Sleep ~ Dopesmoker (Reissue) (Southern Lord)

Vista Chino ~ Peace (Napalm Records)
Windhand ~ Soma (Relapse)

~

Video Of The Week -

Black Prism, brought to you from Easy Rider Records...

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Just One More Beer...

Borracho - Oculus (2013)

Borracho is a band that makes excellent drinking music. Ofcourse that shouldn't come as a surprise keeping in mind the band's name (which means drunkard), but this time the band really lives up to it's name. Expect a bunch of heavy dirty stoner rock.
Oculus is one of those records that are here for one thing: to make you go wild. Especially after a few drinks, and then have another few. Thereafter a few more Borracho songs, and then more booze. You want to have about as much as you can handle, and then some. Borracho go, and go hard. Their music isn't necessarily deep or any food for thought, but it does what it wants to do and is very effective. It's party music; dirty, heavy, fun and best played loud.
For a band that started out as a side project Borracho have put out quite a few albums since 2008, Oculus being their 6th. That shows Borracho has become quite a serious hobby of theirs, and that can be heard. They've improved lots since I first heard of them on their second album Splitting Sky. Back then they were playing heavy rock too, but their way of playing together has grown a lot smoother. Every member seems to know better what the band is doing, and giving the band their all. And still have a lot of fun. Borracho has become more powerful while not becoming more serious, which is something I can really dig.
So, if you're in for some fun listen to Borracho. Their full album will be out tomorrow and then all of it will be streaming over at their Bandcamp, but for now the link to the stream will have to do. They give it away for not a whole lot of money (beer money not included), so just hand 'em over €5 and you'll be enjoying life a bit more.

~Ruben

For Fans Of; Wo Fat, Fu Manchu, Planet Of Zeus, Truckfighters, Gonzalez

Website • Facebook • RevebNation • YouTube • Bandcamp

Full Stream

~

Reign In Tusks...

Mammoth Storm - Self-Titled Demo (2013)

Oh those crazy Swedes. Always making their stoner doom slower, hazier and trippier.

When you first hear Mammoth Storm, it's almost as if you are hearing the soundtrack to a cult's march through the woods en route to a ritual sacrifice, or, perhaps, a solemn death march. Not too say that Mammoth Storm's music is necessarily depressing, but it sounds just that epic and grandiose. A sound that channels the best of euro death metal and slow-grinding sludge elements into nearly a half-hour of brutality that (maybe not so ironically) feels like a passing storm, wrecking everything in its path.

Buzzing guitars and simple, thudding drums pump along the band's early, three-track outing, leaving no argument to the fact that Mammoth Storm knows exactly what sort of music they want to create. From time to time, the fuzzed out melodies open up for impressive guitar solos and pedalwork, as well as eerie and haunting organ sections that create an almost Transylvanian-doom vibe. Ominous group chanting and sampled echoing also create interesting highlights on "Ancient Apocalypse," possibly the album's best track and musically impressive.

Although the work is early, it sounds clean and well-produced, especially for a three-song demo. Say what you will about Pro Tools and audio technology today, but when a band knows how to truly play (and play ti really fucking loud), that intensity shows and pays off when channeled live. Based on the raw talent and potential seen here, Mammoth Storm are poised to have a hell of a run in the metal world and I for one can't wait to hear a full album's worth of work.

~Joe

For Fans Of; Xasthur, Coliseum, Wolves In The Throne Room, Blut Aus Nord

Facebook • Bandcamp

Demo (name your price)

~

Sparks Of Heavy Blues...

The Heavy Co. - Midwest Electric (2013)

The Heavy Co. are a modern band using '60s influences, in contrast to many other contemporary bands who claim the same but are just blatant copies. That's what I like about them, even though they aren't coming up with original material, they do give it a modern and individual sound somehow. Probably because it's got some desert pouring out as well. Whatever the case, it's a solid brew, and you should listen to it if you're up for some heavy blues or a bit of psychedelica. While most of Midwest Electric consists of very bluesy grooves, Greasy Mush and Sailing Towards The Setting Sun are two very tripped out songs. Especially Greasy Mush ends up in a weird guitar frenzy, which I like. A lot.
While it definitely has it's moments, as a whole Midwest Electric doesn't please me as much as it could. I know that this is because I'm not a very big fan of blues while it is a blues record, but it just puts me off in all the places blues usually puts me off. It's too slow without any tension building up, it's not exciting, it's not really relaxing, I just don't know what to do with it. And that's a shame, because The Heavy Co. do know how to get someone to pay attention to a song, which they have proven in Greasy Mush. The rest of the record is just the same old blues in a Heavy Co. coat. It's the coat that's exciting, the rest is been-there done-that blues. Well, it's good blues, and if you're a blues fan you're more than likely going to like this record.
But there's just so much lost potential clustered within this album. They know how to create tension, they're skilled musicians, and the way One Big Drag is sung is amazing, Midwest Electric has it's own feel, sorta, and all of this makes for a great blueprint for an amazing record but it's put down by basing it all on something that stands so far from what it wants to be. It's all based on standard blues while The Heavy Co. are crying and kicking and screaming to do something else, to do something of their own. It's a missed opportunity, but luckily there will be more. I'm interested in the way The Heavy Co. will move, because they could really create something special if they dare to. Midwest Electric, for now, is not what it should be, nevertheless it's pretty good, and worth a listen. 

~Ruben

For Fans Of; Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Heavy Eyes, Clutch, The Atomic Bitchwax

Website • Facebook • Bandcamp

~

News...

Any of you who completely missed out on the gorgeous Spelljammer Vol. II by STB Records may be pleased to know that over the next week or so the limited double cassette should be up for grabs! Don't be a dumbass this time round, because these will be flying off the shelves too. There will also be some more shirts up for pre-order too. Trust me, you definitely don't want to be missing out on these either!

Easy Rider Records, continue their quest to single handedly take over the world by racking up some of the quintessential releases of past and present. This is how the future looks for them at as of today...

Sleep ~ Holy Mountain (14th July)

Kadavar ~ Abra Kadavar (20th July)

Orchid ~ Mouths Of The Madness (27th July)

Witchcraft ~ Legend (3rd August)

Graveyard ~ Hisengen Blues (10th August)

Graveyard ~ Lights Out (17th August)

Suns Of Huns ~ Banishment Ritual (TBA)

Red Desert ~ Damned By Fate (TBA)

Our artist page is now live! So if you've done, or are looking to do some album design then feel free to drop us a line.  

If you didn't catch it last week our compilations on Bandcamp!
They're up for 'name your price', but any and all proceeds will go towards paying for the site upkeep (including bloody Bandcamp itself) so we can keep bring you stuff for free and don't get slapped with any restrictions.
Everyone who actually pays for the cd will automatically go into the draw to with a ton of stuff at the end of the year! 

We also have new affiliate!
Now, we don't condone drugs, but they are awesome. Well, maybe not heroin or meth, but you get the point. Besides, this is a stoner rock orientated site... so with that in mind we give you...

They're a fantastic little dutch company that we do actually use pretty regularly. We really love them, so you should head on over and check them out.

~

New Vinyl Releases -

Baroness ~ Live At Maida Vale (Relapse)
Black Pyramid ~ Adversarial (Hydro Phonic Records)
Black Rainbows ~ Supermothafuzalicious (Reissue) (Heavy Psych Sounds)
Brutus ~ Behind The Sun (Svart Records)
Cave In ~ Until Your Heart Stops (Hydra Head Records)
Centuries ~ Broken Hymns (This Charming Man)

Dopethrone ~ Dark Foil (Totem Cat Records)
Egypt ~ Become The Sun (Doomentia)
Elder ~ Self Titled (Reissued) (Headspin Records)
Harvester ~ Blind Summet Recordings (Freak Flag Recordings)
Lo-Pan ~ Sasquanaut (Small Stone Records)
Old Man Gloom ~ No (Reissue) (Hydra Head Records)

Spelljammer ~ Vol. II (STB Records)
Thumlock ~ Emerald Liquid Odyssey (Kozmik Artifatz)

Wo Fat/Egypt ~ Cyclopean Riffs (Totem Cat Records)

New Pre-orders/Upcoming Releases -

Black Tusk ~ Tend No Wounds (Relapse)
Causa Sui ~ Euporie Tide (El Paraiso Records)
Coffins ~ The Fleshland (Relapse)
Crowbar ~ Broken Glass (Emetic)
Evile ~ Skull (Earache)
High On Fire ~ Spitting Fire Live,Vol. 1 (Relapse)
Lento / Tons ~ Split LP (Heavy Psych Sounds)
Pelican ~ Deny The Absolute 7" (Mylene Sheath)

Sleep ~ Dopesmoker (Reissue) (Southern Lord)

Temple Of The Smoke ~ The Lost Art Of Twilight (Cosmic Eye)
Toxic Shock ~ Daily Demons (Reflections Records)

Vista Chino ~ Peace (Napalm Records)

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Video Of The Week

The fantastic Moon Curse with some new material....

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A Whopper of a Behemoth...

Mammoth Salmon - Internet EP 2 (2013)

Listening to metal most of the time, I come across some rather crazy album artwork, namely albums depicting something akin to the name of the group. When I was introduced this week to Mammoth Salmon I wondered to myself if such a name would lend its services to the album cover. Well, as you can tell from the above image, we have one hell of an album cover on our hands. I mean, that bad ass salmon is coming right for ya! Followed by an even more bad ass Mammoth!

In the history of two-person bands (especially those specializing in stoner metal), I'm not sure I've heard anything as raw, yet coherent, as Mammoth Salmon. Blasting through three sludgy and smokey tracks on their latest EP, the group roll together elements of classic and stoner rock for an overall rough, garage quality sound that continuously hits hard, but also sees instances of twangy guitar shadowed by snare-heavy drums. Early listens of the recordings bring to mind the ever popular riffs and chord-work seen today in bands like The Sword and Acid King, albeit not nearly as progressive or structured. While none of the songs outlast their aural welcomes, the band, at times, have extended periods of noise that never really build back up to a crescendo or crushing segue, but, rather, end abruptly or fade out in feedback. Keeping in mind that the recordings are early versions of what could easily be prolonged into much more concise songs, Mammoth Salmon clearly have the chops to produce a heavy sound that is not to be taken lightly. When the responsibilities fall to two people, I can't help but be impressed at the writing and the way in which each song compliments the prior without re-hashing the same aesthetic over and over.

~Joe

For Fans Of; Big Business, The Melvins, Gypsyhawk, Burst, FiveWillDie

Facebook • Bandcamp

Internet EP 2 (name your price)

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Message Received...

Envoys - Violescent (2013)

Choosing to let your music speak for you is a bold move. A limited amount of vocals in any genre of music can be the make-or-break factor for a listener, but, when the music is interesting and engaging enough, the results can be quite impressive. In more recent years, prog gods Pelican and groove metal acts like Baroness have set a pace for bands exploring the more musical side of things, expanding hard rock into areas that embrace rare and unique instrumentation and minimalistic vocals that seem to only be used with precision in order to make a greater point in a song. While these acts have a solid fan base, the genius and skill behind the music can often be lost on people unwilling to truly sit and listen as opposed to rushing to the stereo to crank it up to 11.

Placing on a foot on each side of that metal/prog line is Envoys. Empyrean and dulcet one minute, booming and piercing the next. Envoys has taken clear notes from those who have tread the prog ground before them, but keep an interesting perspective by incorporating frequent and oddly-timed pace changes that hurl riffs, solos and rhythms at the listener like hand grenades. Certain moments of the album, including the opening minutes of "Ego Is The Mankiller," brought a curious smile to my face as the band's guitars triggered a memory of sounds from my youth, namely the classic NES title "Jordan vs. Bird" (a basketball title featuring Michael Jordan and Larry Bird for you youngsters out there). The retro sound of the picking and gliding is masterful and an overall shining standout on the record.

Outside of the more sweeping sounds showcased on the album lie intense beats and pseudo-breakdowns that induce the tendency to tap your foot or lightly bang your head, including opener "Bread & Bullfights," a lengthier first track that miraculously grabs the listener's ear and doesn't bore at any point. It is here that the lack of vocals proves strongest as one quickly realizes that the musicianship contained with Envoys is all that is necessary.

Envoys will be touring throughout the month of August in their native UK, including their album launch show August 2 with Ride With The Devil favorites Sunwølf. Violescent will see a July 29 release on CD, vinyl and digital distribution, any of which can be pre-ordered here. It should also be noted that all vinyl pre-orders actually help the band press the records for release, so dig deep and help support the greatest audio format known to man.

~Joe

For Fans Of; Pelican, Junius, Jesu, Long Distance Calling, *Shels

Website • Facebook • Bandcamp

Violescent (Demos) (free)

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Mesmerizing Sound Mass...

Mr. Peter Hayden - Born A Trip (2012)

It would be fairly easy to compare Mr. Peter Hayden's Born A Trip to Sleep's Dopesmoker, a little too easy perhaps, but on the other hand somewhat grounded as well. Not because it's a one song album, not because it's heavy and doomy and not because the existence of such an album is quite surreal, but because of the patience it demands from it's listeners. That sounds a little harsh, but giving Born A Trip a listen requires a sort of patience, and definitely the will to experience the whole thing. It's not easily accessible, but it wasn't made to be that way. Not in the least. That's where my comparison to Dopesmoker comes from, and ends.
If you're a fan of experiencing an album as a whole, this is definitely something for you to look at, if not you're probably not going to enjoy it, but hey, you can give it a try.
Born A Trip is 68 minutes of psychedelic instumental doom. Definitely not psychedelic as in the term of the music world that's used to describe psychedelic rock bands, but it's psychedelic. It has the incalculability, the different stages, the depth, the moodswings, the eeriness of a psychedelic trip. Just like a trip as well, you shouldn't (and I defnitely can't) put a stop to it early, the experience would be incomplete, ruined. It is as it is, and it should be heard as it is.
Mr. Peter Hayden have definitely set up something different here, and I cannot tell whether I like it or not. Sure, the experience is great, and I like that, and musically it's very well balanced, they now how to keep building tension, but I'm very glad not every band puts out an album like this. Glad as well that there are bands that do, for the fact that there are creations like this. But musically, I don't think it's a very good idea to make a song that 68 minutes long. That makes it so that people won't listen to it as often, and after hearing it once or twice basically never again. The product is great, but the product is a kind of non-music made by very talented musicians, which seems a shame to me. But still I can't make my mind up whether I want to hear something else than such a strange piece, the strange piece just needs to get a place. Somewhere.

~Ruben

For Fans Of; Sleep, Shrinebuilder, Red Sparowes, Axehandle, Spelljammer, 

Website • Facebook • Bandcamp

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News...

Well, big news all round it seems this week. Firstly, you've not long left to get your art work submissions in to STB Records for the impending vinyl release of the awesome Dr Doom's latest EP The rules are simple - a single line drawing of one colour. Pretty simple eh, and you could just win yourself a kick ass test press and diehard version of the final product! 

Over at Easy Rider Records, Dan's been bloody busy... Not only did he sign up Portland's own Sons Of Huns, but he's also gone and secured the rights to reissue Sleep's Holy Mountain, Kadavar's Abra Kadavar and Orchid's Mouths Of The Madness... and trust me when I say it won't be ending there!

As for us, it's been all go here too. We're current in the process of putting together an artist page, so if you're handy with a crayon, or what ever those sickeningly talented bastards use, then drop us a line and we'll help showcase some of your projects and hopefully land you some work! 

We've also finally got around to putting our compilations on Bandcamp! So now you can stream, embed and download them til your hearts content (look to the left)! They're up for 'name your price', but any and all proceeds will go towards paying for the site upkeep (including bloody Bandcamp itself) so we can keep bring you stuff for free and don't get slapped with any restrictions. Also, everyone who actually pays for the cd will automatically go into the draw to with a ton of stuff at the end of the year! 

Oh, we also have new affiliate!
Now, we don't condone drugs, but they are awesome. Well, maybe not heroin or meth, but you get the point. Besides, this is a stoner rock orientated site... so with that in mind we give you...

They're a fantastic little dutch company that we do actually use pretty regularly. We really love them, so you should head on over and check them out.

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New Vinyl Releases -

Baroness ~ Live At Maida Vale (Relapse)
Black Pyramid ~ Adversarial (Hydro Phonic Records)
Black Rainbows ~ Supermothafuzalicious (Reissue) (Heavy Psych Sounds)
Brutus ~ Behind The Sun (Svart Records)
Cave In ~ Until Your Heart Stops (Hydra Head Records)
Centuries ~ Broken Hymns (This Charming Man)

Dopethrone ~ Dark Foil (Totem Cat Records)
Egypt ~ Become The Sun (Doomentia)
Elder ~ Self Titled (Reissued) (Headspin Records)
Harvester ~ Blind Summet Recordings (Freak Flag Recordings)
Lo-Pan ~ Sasquanaut (Small Stone Records)
Old Man Gloom ~ No (Reissue) (Hydra Head Records)

Spelljammer ~ Vol. II (STB Records)
Thumlock ~ Emerald Liquid Odyssey (Kozmik Artifatz)

Wo Fat/Egypt ~ Cyclopean Riffs (Totem Cat Records)

New Pre-orders/Upcoming Releases -

Black Tusk ~ Tend No Wounds (Relapse)
Causa Sui ~ Euporie Tide (El Paraiso Records)
Coffins ~ The Fleshland (Relapse)
Crowbar ~ Broken Glass (Emetic)
Evile ~ Skull (Earache)
High On Fire ~ Spitting Fire Live,Vol. 1 (Relapse)
Lento / Tons ~ Split LP (Heavy Psych Sounds)
Pelican ~ Deny The Absolute 7" (Mylene Sheath)

Sleep ~ Dopesmoker (Reissue) (Southern Lord)

Temple Of The Smoke ~ The Lost Art Of Twilight (Cosmic Eye)
Toxic Shock ~ Daily Demons (Reflections Records)

Vista Chino ~ Peace (Napalm Records)

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