Release Date: Out now.
Record Label: Faceslapper Records.
Let’s face it: Caveman Voicebox are living the life that most stoner bands dream of. California natives, who are lucky to count Fu Manchu as neighbours; Strippers, Mullets & Beer is boozy, blue-collar rock, in its purest form.
Boasting a confidence and swagger usually reserved for more experienced bands, the trio’s loose and sleazy formula, mashes equal doses of fuzz and good ol’ blues, at lightning quick pace (‘72’Nova’); while their controlled coolness, makes it easier to switch from full-throttle to comfortable cruising (‘Forsaken Place’) in no time at all. Despite a lack of references to strippers – or indeed, mullets – there is definitely a whiskey-soaked, feel-good factor here: and sometimes that’s all you need.
Release Date: Out now.
Record Label: STM Records.
There’s something apt about the time and place of Zodiac N Black’s debut. With British-sounding retro-rock going through a late ‘00s revival; it’s about time that a London four-piece showed the rest of the world, exactly how it’s done.
Sure, there’s been the Black Spiders and Gentleman’s Pistols – to name but two – however, the frivolous, plug-in-and-play attitude of the ‘70s had, until now, fallen by the wayside. Limitless and free, The Aftermyth is all about merging rock’s timeless constellations, into an accessible notion, that can be regularly enjoyed by all. ‘Bastinado’ (for instance) captures the modern-day, Californian spirit of groove-orientated fuzz, while still sounding unashamedly British: the perfect airplay single.
What is apparent – and indeed surprising – is the amount of thrills on offer here: from the rousing, full-on assault of ‘Seems Like Better Times’, to the face-melting, chord cataclysms of ‘Lights on Blues’; a breathtaking feat for a band whose last series of gigs, included the legendary Dublin Castle, as well as Kensington’s not-so-glamorous, AAA Bar. Without getting carried away, Zodiac N Black is on the verge of becoming the breakthrough act of 2012; and with a sound that is so complete and well-rounded; it’s easy to see why.
Release Date: Out now.
Record Label: Improvising Beings.
As the storm clouds roll in, and the rain begins to pour in a spacious corner of Cornwall’s desolate landscape; the time seems right to engage in the pre-Columbian-tinged side-project of Blaak Heat Shujaa.
Having found success with the aforementioned band, guitarist Thomas Bellier – although playing bass and the Aztec flute on this particular release – and drummer Tim Gacon, have become the first, post-millennial duo, to interweave Mesoamerican percussion into a mantra-style form of tribal-psych and atmospheric doom.
Despite drawing lazy comparisons with the stoic repetitions of Om; Ehécatl’s creativity goes far beyond the compounds of fluctuating bass grooves and rolling drum fills; as never before has the balance between near-destruction and calm been so haunting and intricate. For instance, the opening third of ‘La Canción del Dios Ehécatl’ documents Quetzalcoatl (“feathered serpent”) swooning around the remains of Teotihuacan at sunrise: spine-tingling. Feeling like a 30-minute coda, Ehécatl is a post-Columbian triumph.
Release Date: Out now.
Record Label: Self-Released.
By Simon Hadley
The Midlands’ rock and metal heritage is unrivalled: from Black Sabbath to Judas Priest – not forgetting Robert Plant and John Bonham of course – there’s obviously something in the water.
Rewind to the present, and Shrewsbury’s Omnia Opera are continuing to show that there’s still rock to be found and cherished in centre of England. Having previously released two albums on cassette in the late 80s – younger readers might want to Google ‘cassette’ – the talented five-piece were approached by Delerium Records in the early 90s to record two albums (Omnia Opera and Red Shift) – neither of which charted.
On hiatus until 2006, Omnia Opera’s third album, Nothing is Ordinary harks back to a golden age for space-rock; each composition surrounded by intergalactic mythos and a fear for the unknown. Ironic, perhaps, that this return from obscurity is likely to be the band’s ‘golden’ album, and certainly their most creative and expansive release to date: two discs with over two hours of mind-warping astronomical mysticism.
Although space-rock is at its core – Hawkwind cira-1972, to be precise – there is also the meticulous musings of: Gong, Rush and prog-rock pioneers Yes; not to mention: Caravan, Dream Theater, Pink Floyd, and the cynicism of Britpop. Living in the age of iTunes (where full-length albums are an unwelcomed commodity), Nothing is Ordinary isn’t going to be to everyone’s taste; but then again, isn’t that the point – real music, for real people.
Release Date: Out now.
Record Label: Self-Released.
As any discerning music fan knows, rock ‘n’ roll is the only genre left with any sort of credibility, in an industry that continues to push style over substance.
In these times of gloom and uncertainty, it is perhaps no surprise that bands like The Nines are celebrated and cherished the world over. Formed only 18 months ago in Detroit, Michigan, the Motor City trio’s driving, no-frills sound, revitalises the chest-beating swagger and killer riffs of old, with boundless, youthful energy.
Led by powerhouse vocalist, Ian Kirwan, it is his passionate, balls-out delivery – not to mention his innate knack for writing stadium-filling hooks – that leads the tightly-knit rhythmic section of: Kevin Bernard and Greg Ornazian, down the road of joyous abandonment; the same route taken by the likes of: AC/DC, Led Zeppelin and, more recently, the Black Crowes.
Raucous grooves aside, The Nines, are, after all, a band from Detroit; home of the Motown sound, and while you’ll unlikely to find girl-group harmonies and tambourine shaking breakdowns, this debut does contain plenty of soul; most notably during ‘As I Dream’ and the subtly haunting ‘Walk The Line’. More of the same please chaps.
Release Date: Out now.
Record Label: Self-Released.
It’s no secret that the Ghost Wolves’ owe part of their following to the vision and talent of post-millennial blues-rocker Jack White.
As White Blood Cells made the Delta blues ‘cool’ again – albeit by way of Led Zeppelin – Carley ‘Carazy’ Wolf was channelling her own inner blues. Born into a musical Texan family, Wolf quickly mastered the piano and the acoustic; and seeking “something more electric” – thanks to the influence of rockabilly musician Johnny Falstaff – set to work on a sound that compliments Jonathan ‘Little Hammer’ Konya’s “Del McCoury-meets-John Bonham,” style of playing.
From the opening, bluegrass twang of ‘Gonna Live’, to the gorgeous live recording of ‘First Love’, it is clear that the duo’s relentless gigging – as well as their strong musical heritage – has produced a collection of tracks that is both exhilarating and infectious.
The stop-start sleaze of ‘Broke Joke’ ebbs and flows with the sneering attitude of PJ Harvey, while the shimmy of ‘The Snake and Jake Shake’ is fun-filled garage. Stylised and sexually-charged, Wolf and Konya’s chemistry is, at times, electric; and just like the White Stripes before them, the Ghost Wolves are bringing authentic blues-rock to a new generation of followers.
Release Date: Out now.
Record Label: Unsigned.
By Simon Hadley
Despite being titled Songs From North America – they are from Gainesville after all – the most striking aspect of Ancient River’s best release to date, is its unequivocal Britishness.
Cut from the same, modern-day cloth, as the likes of: Black Mountain and Tame Impala, the Florida trio – like their contemporaries – owe a considerable debt to the decades of British garage and psychedelia; as the Kinks, the Pretty Things and the Small Faces – not to mention the guitar-driven sound of Oasis, Ride and the Verve – can be heard with each melodic and rhythmic surge of vintage nostalgia.
As if to further the links with their cross-Atlantic cousins, Ancient River has the only frontman in Florida, who, over the last ten years, has managed to pull off the quintessential combination of sounding fleetingly lackadaisical, while also managing to convey meaning: something that Jaime Barreto pulls off with incredible ease.
That said: Songs From North America also takes inspiration from bands closer to home; as the dreamy, harmonica-led folk of ‘The Big Sky’, is the sound of Crazy Horse jamming with West Coast natives, while ‘Solid Ground’ evokes memories of smoky, sun-lit bars, in the heart of San Francisco. Mesmerising and irrepressibly cool: Songs From North America is a rare, psych-tinged gem.
Release Date: Out now.
Record Label: Killer Candy Records.
By Simon Hadley
Doom glorious doom: A sub-genre of metal that has continued to evolve, since its humble beginnings in the industrial heartland of late-60s Aston.
In fact, the doom dynasty has not only evolved, but it has diversified too; as ‘death doom’ and ‘sludge’ has moved the genre further away from its traditional bluesy roots – ‘stoner doom’ to you and I. Nestled in a small corner of Britain – The Acid Coven to be precise – is a mysterious trio, who haven’t forgot about the paranoid darkness of Sabbath; or the black magic that engulfs Tony Iommi’s spellbinding jams.
Christened Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats, Blood Lust bludgeons the listener in a slow, hallucinatory fashion, while maintaining its recognisable heaviness – ‘cosmic doom’ for want of a better description. In a typically cryptic manner, ‘I’ll Cut You Down’ opens with sinister thoughts, before bursting into a constant, plodding riff, as one half of the Deadbeats sinks into a satanic ritual; announcing that she ‘wants you’ and ‘needs you’ before she ‘cuts you down’.
While the tales of witchcraft and dark matter are as key to the tracks as the riffs themselves, the fact that Blood Lust was recorded on vintage, analogue equipment at The Slaughterhouse (seriously) adds to its haunting beauty; as the tones are rich and crisp, while remaining ragged and desperate – such is the band’s attention to detail. The only minor gripe that one could possibly have about this album, is the fact it is only limited to 100 copies. However, aside from that, this is simply a fantastic release. All hail Uncle Acid and his Deadbeats of doom.
Release Date: Out now.
Record Label: Self-Released.
By Simon Hadley
Ten Page Pilot were once in danger of becoming the forgotten sons of Dutch rock.
Bursting onto the scene in 2008, ‘In The City’, the second single to be taken from the Circle Lines EP, made it onto the playlists of national radio stations, then, after seemingly outstaying its welcome, found itself on the scrapheap.
With the passage of time, the band’s youthful adrenaline rush, has been overtaken by a desire to a find a happy medium between grunge and stoner, that will appeal to the mainstream, without isolating their underground fan base. By soaking up the greats of these respected genres – as well as dealing with rejection – has turned Ten Page Pilot into cynics; and they sound all the better for it.
Sure, their early riff-driven fire still burns brighter than ever; however, it’s the quieter moments where the album really makes it mark. With just soothing strumming and plucking to accompany the vocals, ‘We Call Ourselves Diplomats’ creeps into the eerie world of duel-harmonies, and the pain-stricken delivery, that is usually associated with the likes of Jerry Cantrell and Kurt Cobain. A gem of a track that, on the surface, is pretty basic, however, there’s just a shadowy beauty that makes you want to revisit it again and again.
Once in danger, the level-headed maturity of Into the Eyes of the Armed, both in terms of songwriting and musicianship, is a credit to the band’s persistence in the face of adversity. “A survivor’s candle burning on and on/I’ll find the lightning now it’s on my side,” is the album’s final assurance, closing a bittersweet chapter that has taken four years to complete.
Release Date: Out now.
Record Label: Rockzilla.
Everyone needs a mantra. With fears of being tarred with the dreaded ‘stoner rock’ brush, Grandloom has gone to great lengths to ensure that they abide by the philosophical, double-meaning of: “Electrical rock between Love and Peace.”
Floating between classic blues-rock, pastoral acoustics and hallucinogenic psychedelia – all of which are filtered through the amps of Palm Desert sun gods, Kyuss – the Cottbus trio’s debut, aspires to live up to the stylistic purity of Karma To Burn and the avant-psych improvisation of Motorpsycho; while also maintaining their “Love and Peace” aesthetic.
Deliberately narrowed down to six tracks, every side of Sunburst has the ability to twist and slide over the toughest of terrain. The bang-and-smash structure of ‘Orbit Webbler’ marries full-on fuzz with ambient space loops, in a hazy – but thankfully brief trip – through Seventies nostalgia.
The heavy-chugging of ‘Woodbridge’ rolls to the sound of acid-rock, over a relentless rhythm-section, while ‘Larry Fairy’ is a shameless slice of sun-bleached worshipping. The albums centrepiece, however, falls to ‘Apollo Moon’, as Krautrock-inspired grooves, delicately churn alongside electronic flourishes and tempo-changing beats; as each member of the trio shines in even the quietest of progressive corners. Sunburst a flawless execution of a self-imposed mantra.
