? NUMBERS ?
4 WALLS 3 WAY
LOCAL
"The Black Wing EP"
Chicago's own 4 Walls Records have released an excellent 3-way split CD EP featuring two tracks each from DIRTY BIRD, GRAVITRON and a band I hadn't heard of yet called BIRDWING. I have to say that it's one of the best Stoner Garage disks I've ever heard, from Dirty Bird's remake of their classic "Brains" to Gravitron's toughest, and best shit yet (featuring Ken Harlev from 18 Speed Tranny), to the amazingly psychedelic, fuzzed-out, and energetic Birdwing tracks, this thing screams DIY at it's absolute best and reminds me somewhat of classic proto-stoner acts like The Sonics or The Trashmen, but with all the influences and electronics advantages that didn't exist back in the day when "Surfin' Bird" or "The Witch" were originally laid down. Plus, the packaging is cool, and each one comes with a real black feather inside.
5IVE'S CONTINUUM RESEARCH PROJECT
"The Hemophiliac Dream"
So, I'm listening to this CD, and it's sounding like a really awesome cover of Pink Floyd's "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" (one of my favorite Floyd songs and one of the few I can still listen to) but nowhere on the packaging does it indicate that it is a cover of that old favorite. Then after about 23 minutes of some of the best hard space rock I've heard, the first track ends, and after about 12 minutes into the second track which is an awesomely noisy James Plotkin remix of the first track, a little voice comes through the din and whispers, "Set the controls..."
Highly recommended listening for old Floyd fans who want to hear it harder and heavier than ever.
18 SPEED TRANNY
LOCAL
"Demo" CDR
Great stuff! Sounds a little bit like my favorite band, SMOKE, with that heavy bluesy rock sound, soaked in the THC that I love so much. These guys just need an awesome producer, & a cool label to be huge. The tracks, "Plastic Bag" & "Wasting Away" are highlights.
? A ?
ALIX
"Ground"
Ground features only the finest, hand-crafted, vintage sounding stoner rock available, imported all the way from Italy. I know that I tend to compare every band with a chick singer to HEART, but that's only because I'm from the 70's and Heart was the best chick band alive at the time, and I had a hard-on for them for sure. Anyways, my roommate, who wasn't even a fetus back then, said that Alix sounded "so 70's" when he heard them playing on my i-Tunes, which confirmed what I thought all along: Alix sounds kinda like Heart. Only heavier and riffier, and better than ever.
AMERICAN DRAFT
"AD VOLUMES II:III"
Wow, talk about ecclectic! I usually cringe when I hear that word , and take it to mean "a load of meandering crap that has no specific direction or passion for one genre or another," but, even though I think the word is totally appropriate to describe this new AD double CD, I wouldn't say it in the negative sense at all. There's a lot of great tunes on this thing, most of which are instrumental (always a plus in my book) and all of which display a group a musicians with incredible talent, and the ability to play in many rock genres with depth of understanding and skill. They've got the anthem thing down (they even have a song called "Anthem") and tunes like Red River" and "Anvil of Crom" are songs to march in place to for sure. There's a few curve-balls here, like the Kinks-esqe "Ruben Kincaide," and some surprising instruments pop up in the mix. I think I even heard the vibes in there somewhere. These guys are local, so you should go see them if you get a chance. With a bag of tricks as deep and varied as AD, you're bound to hear something in their set that you'll really really dig.
ASTRO5ONIQ
"Son of A.P. Lady"
Super sonic psychedelia from the Netherlands. Some great tunes, some really weird ones. Some heavy, some not-so-heavy. Some future classics to be sure.
? B ?
BACKWOODS PAYBACK
"Book One"
Good old fashioned hard and heavy rock, with hella distorted bass and guitars. Plenty of good sounds on here, only sometimes tainted by the vocals which stray into the radio-friendly zone.
BEGOTTEN
"Unmastered" CDR
I don't know if these tunes ever came out on a regular release, so I'll just give the demo the same lazy-ass review I did back in 2002: "This CD tore me a new ear hole!"
BEHOLD! THE LIVING CORPSE
Self Titled
This crusty old chestnut by one of the Windy City's most beloved granddaddy's of doom has been re-ssued by Chicago's own Original Sound Recordings. It contains some classic early works by some of this city's best musicians and finest folks, as well as revealing some knowledge to the savvy listener about the perfect chord, and how it turns up again and again in all the best music. Dude, Behold! was, like four years ahead of there time, and this disc totally proves it, fitting in seemlessly with other, contemporary, shit that I love in the same genre. That genre being what I would call "Experiemental Doom," and Behold! being one of the best in it, Mother Fucker, so look for that other crusty old chestnut, Velcro Lewis, and ask him to sell you a copy.
BIBLE OF THE DEVIL
LOCAL
"Tight Empire"
&
"Firewater at My Command
As far as I can tell, from one listen to each of these discs so far, this is world class rock and roll, with cowbells, killer hooks, & ripping leads all intact. At times the vocals sound like AC/DC, but sped-up and more raw. Every song's a winner, there are plenty of anthems, and you've especially gotta love a song title like "Typical Chicago Jackass." Cool cover art for both CDs too.
BLACK HELICOPTER
"Demo" CDR
Three songs of down beats & depressing diatribes. Heavy yet mellow at the same time, it's one of my favorites to be sure, & the production is dead on, so these guys just need a label & some distro to achieve greatness.
THE BOOK OF KNOTS
"S/T"
I can't say that I liked every song on this crazy thing after just a couple of listenings, but I can say that I liked a couple of the songs a LOT after just one listening. The theme throughout the CD is sea-faring (see the instructions on Knot-tying & the "Tips for Mariners") and the band features about a thousand different people playing about a million different instruments, some of which I've never even heard of. A festive voyage into weirdness, marred only by some bad vocal stylings that hang like an albatrose around the necks of a track or two.
BOTTOM
"Feels So Good"
These three fish will have you swallowing every hook they toss into the water. Then they'll reel you in with power chords, until you're close enough for them to bash your skull in with amplified sonic bass riffs. You'll pretty much be left twitching around in the bottom of their Hate Boat, gasping for more.
BRAINOIL
"S/T"
This CD is SO FREAKIN' GOOD, that it left me... bitterly disappointed. That's right, I love this thing, but it's too short. Way too short. There's even a version of "One Leaf Untouched" that is half-as-long as the 6 minute MP3 version that I downloaded from the internet. It still totally rules, but it's just too dam,n short. In fact, there's not one song on here that clocks in at over 4 inutes. For a band as awesome as Brainoil, that's just not enough. Heavy and crusty, with vocals from the "cheese grater across the adam's apple" variety, and guitars that remind me of Church of Misery, Brainoil is a slow-to-mid-tempo trudge through the dankest swamps of doom. I scenic trip that ought to last a little longer, if you ask me.
BURIED AT SEA
LOCAL
"Demo" CDR, Live at The Double Door on July 4th, & "Migration" CD
Members of Buried at Sea are originally from Florida, but moved to Chicago, because this town kicks ass. My roommate brought home their Demo last spring, & it also kicks ass, so I think the move up North was a provident one. Slow, murky, & brutal, Buried at Sea is the musical equivalent of those big red & white pills that you take in Grand Theft Auto; Vice City that make you move slo-mo, while making you stronger than ever, & increasing your killing potential. Brian, from the band describes the music as, "songs of war & drowning."
The Demo is hard to find, so good luck, but the new "Migration" CD has some of the same tunes, only more produced, with new vocals (that my roommate describes as "Yobbish"), & spooky sounds added to send a chill up your spine. It's really great, & parts of it give SUNN0))) a run for their money in the "continuous tones of doom" department. It should be available everywhere soon, so ask for it by name.
In the meantime, go see these guys live if you can, they rocked the Double Door when I saw them play with Pelican & High on Fire on July 4th. They were so slow at moments that it felt like time froze. In a good way.
? C ?
CANNIBAL CORPSE
"Hammer Smashed Face" EP
Hands down, this is the fastest CD I own. I like Cannibal Corpse, but I mostly picked this one up for the awesome, bone-crushing cover of the odd-ball Black Sabbath classic, "Zero the Hero."
CARCASS
"Symphonies of Sickness" & "Reek of Putrefaction"
Okay, I admit that I bought these two slick Earache CD re-releases out of pure nostalgia for my old LPs, which I sold to pay rent back in '95. These are the 2nd & 3rd fastest CDs that I currently own, & they don't get much play these days, but I like having them around.
CATHEDRAL
"VIIth Coming"
For some reason, even though Cathedral's been around for a long time, I'd never really heard much of them until lately. So, maybe I should be writing something like "This CD sucks compared to their old stuff," but instead I'm writing "This CD fucking rocks, and has some pretty surprising hooks." It's less "Sabbathy" than some other Cathedral tunes I've heard, but very good none-the-less.
CAVITY
"Miscellaneous Recollections '92 - '97"
&
"Super Collider"
Where the fuck have I been living? Under a rock? These guys have been around since '92 & I'm just getting into them now? I'm an indiot, & so are you if you're not familliar with the awesomeness of Cavity. Think Weedeater meets Electric Wizard meets a cosmic force in outer space with the potential to destroy all of humanity with it's evil power to consume worlds (Galactus, for example). That's how awesome these guys are. Plus, I'll give them extra credit for the very cool artwork on the "Miscellaneous" CD.
PAUL CHAIN
"Cosmic Wind"
Paul Chain calls himself "The Improvisor" & explains on his CD jacket that all of the music is produced spontaneously, and the language he is "singing" is entirely made-up on the spot. Apart from this being a pretty cool & weird gimic, the music is really great too. This disc is one long, spaced -out journey through a mellow universe of fluffy gas giants, candy coated comets, and psychedelic swirling star clusters.
COLOUR HAZE
Self Titled
Before you read any further, let me state up front: this CD kicks fucking ass and I love it. More great stoner rock from Germany, this disc sounds like Kyuss meets Twin Earth meets Dead Meadow meets some crazy ass hippy music and even some jazz-like interludes. At times it sounds like the miscellaneous noodlings that are still stuck in my mind from the four times I saw the Grateful Dead in High School. At other times it punches in with the rockin' riffs and anthemic build-ups that I've come to look forward to from Northern Europe. The opening song, "Mountain," is a hidden hit that would be on every rock radio station in the country, if they didn't all completely suck. The 22+ minute "Peace, Brothers & Sisters!" is completely out-of-hand, like if Carlos Santana was still alive*, and making killer, heavey ass rock and roll.
* Yeah, yeah, you know what I mean.
CURARE
"Apple" Demo CDR
Machine made metal mixed with creative weirdness & ambient noise. Jarring, churning, soothing, & abrasive all at the same time. Great stuff! To be released soon on House of Mumble (???) records.
? D ?
DEAD MEADOW
"Shivering King & Others"
This strange power-trio from DC cranks out a LOT of great stonery, spacey type stuff. Their latest release meanders at times, for what seems like hours, but is destined to contain future classics among its many tracks.
DELICIOUS
"S/T"
This 3 song space rock EP is one of my new favorites in that category. Each song clocks in somewhere between 9 and 13 minutes long, and run the course, from cosmicly quiet meaderings to hard-driving interstellar, photon-powered, warp engines of solid sound. All instrumental tunes, the way I like 'em, played with flawless confidence & boundless creativity.
DEVILSSONINLAW
"S/T"
Every band should sound like Devilssoninlaw: all instrumental, heavy as hell, full of hooks, laden with samples, and just balls-out rock from beginning to end. Their self-titled 5 song EP is an excellent effort by this 3 piece, and became an instant favorite around here. If you like Pines, Pelican, or Zebulon Pike, you're gonna love Devilssoninlaw.
DITCHLIQUOR
"The Nemisis Window"
Solid, Kick-ass Stoner Rock with a hard, biting edge to it. Fuzz, crust and punk influences are definitely there, with catchy Kyuss-y bass riffs throughout. There are some hits, a few near-hits, and maybe even a future classic or two.
DOZER
"Madre de Dios" & "In the Tail of A Comet"
What can I say about Dozer, except that they sound like Kyuss never died, & I fucking LOVE IT.
DRUNKS WITH GUNS
"Untitled" CD
Drunks with Guns really only had a handful of great songs before they died, & this CD only has 3 of them. The other 7 tracks are Okay, but "Beautiful Happiness," "Cowboy," & "Wonderful Subdivision" are the highlights here. I wish it had "WWIII," "Fist Puppet" & "Mommy I'm a Zombie" on it though, from the period when they had a twelve year old girl singing for them.
THE DUTCHMEN
"Bloodthirsty"
If I could write headlines for The Tribune, the headline I would chose for this CD would read, "LOCAL COCK ROCKERS MAKE GOOD ON CLAIM." To my ear, the Dutchmen fall musically somewhere between AC/DC and The Lazy Cowgirls. Punk, but with a hell of a lot more testosterone than most of the MTV so-called-punk that my eyes and ears unfortunately happen upon from time to time. Dutchmen deliver it hard, mid-tempo, and raw as Hell. The vocals aren't afraid to sound tough, and drummer ain't afriad to sound like 1979 all over again. Does anybody remember the band The Pirates? What about The Bags? No? Well, whatever. The Dutchmen compare favorable to that sort of straight-up bar rock, with an edge of malice, tinged with hormones, that leaves one with a strong desire to end the night with a good hard drunken fuck.
? E ?
EARTH
"2"
This CD sounds like two hours of two guys learning how to play guitar & then an hour & 1/2 of them leaving the practice space, but forgetting to turn off their equipment. Yet, despite that very accurate description, I still kind of like it. Especially the six and a half hours at the end, when a soothing sound goes "hummm..." while I sleep.
ELECTRIC MAGMA
"Karaoke Bitch Slap"
The cover art made me think it was gonna be industrial, the title made me think it was gonna be goof-rock, but one listen told me i t was heavy, psychedellic, (mostly) instrumental stoner rock of the highest quality. It reminds me a little bit of the super-group SCENE KILLER mixed with our local guys PINES. Riffy and mellodic, but heavy as fuck and full of cool effects. If I gave out stars, this one would get 4 out of 4.
ELEPHANTUM
"Sedimentation"
File this one under "Stoner-Light," & I don't mean that in a bad way. If you start with Kyuss, from there you can go heavier - like The Mushroom River Band for eample - or lighter, like, say, Sea of Green. Both great bands. These guys are somewhere between there. "Black Butterfly" is the obvious undiscovered hit here. meaning that if commercial radio didn't totally suck, we'd be hearing it in rotation.
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? F ?
FAT RAT GRUMBLE
"Chapter 1 - Liquid Stones"
Holy fuck. It came from Italy and it fucking rules. Slow, demented, weird, oozing, heavy, muffled, cryptic... did I say weird? It's like you're having a dream about slowly melting amplifiers, turned way up to 12, and filling the room with liquid distortion. As far as I know this CDR is almost enirely unavailable, and the band is now defunct, but it's members are still around, in a band called T.H.U.M.B. (see T.H.U.M.B.)
FIREBIRD
Self titled CD
These guys sound alternately like Cream and/or Led Zep never died. Great high range vocals, great leads & riffs. Good stuff from Rise Above records.
FIREBALL MINISTRY
"FMEP"
I've tried to sell this thing to Reckless 3 times, & they never want it. The thing is, it's pretty good, so I don't even know why I want to sell it! The band has one of the chicks from L7 in it, so that's cool, & they do great covers of all-time classics by Alice Cooper, Blue Cheer, the Misfits & more, so what's my fuckin' problem? Who knows.
FLOATING WIDGET
"Praises to the Riff Monolith"
Every city, state, region, or province in the world should have it's very own "King of Stoner Bands," and I think that Floating Widget must have Quebec pretty much covered. Fuzz guitars, thumping bass, pounding drums, and a vocalist who's high gravely voice is kind of like John Garcia meets the singer from The Quill. If power chords, catchy progressions, and riff-fests don't appeal to you, then steer clear of this one. If they do, then steer straight the fuck into it.
FOR THIS I HAVE FALLEN
LOCAL
"Self-Titled
This is one helluva tight metal act here. Lots of double kick drums and crusty vocals, but more than just a sum of it's parts. Definitley one of the most "pro" sounding local metal bands around, without being too slick, or pussed-out. These guys play live a lot, so go see them if you get a chance!
FUDGE TUNNEL
"Creep Diets," The Complicated Futility of Ignorance," & "In a Word"
For some reason I bought all three of these old CDs off of e-bay in one fell swoop. Creep Diets is as good as I remember it being on LP back in the day, & is highly recommended for old-school satisfaction. I haven't even listened to the other two yet.
GATES OF SLUMBER
"The Awakening"
From the Peter Bruegel cover art, to Karl's final death moans on "The Burial," this disc from Indiana's Gods of DOOM is drenched in dread, death, and medeivel justice of the most brutally excellent variety. With killer songs like "the Judge," "The Jury," and "Broken on the Wheel," leading us to the fury of "The Executioner" (which the band describes as their "black arrow for all those who play false metal"), GoS solidifies their standing as one of the toughest, heaviest mother-fucking bands in the world, never mind the mid-west. Their riffs are made out of molten lead, and screaming hot pinchers that tear at your flesh, while the bludgeoning drums, and dangerously unholy bass lines will lull you into a death-like sleep, and then beat you back alive, into your waking nightmare: sealed in a coffin FOREVER. This debut disk from one of my favorite bands is an instant classic, and essential for any fan of true metal.
GLASSPACK
"Bridgeburner"
It's no secret that Glasspack is one of my favorite bands of all time. (I once paid $100 to see them play!) I've got every CD, LP, EP and Video that these guys have done, EXCEPT the new one: Bridgeburner, which I borrowed from my buddy Kevin for so long that I never bought it for myself, and then Dirty Dave said I should get a free copy from Small Stone, but I never did, so I'll eventually have to go get the damn thing, but I don't need to have it front of me to review it. IT FUCKING RULES. Hit after hit of the usual GP Southern Stoner Garage Rock sound. Dave's vocals are awesome as always, and his guitar wails and screams through the CD and their live set with fire & fury! My only complaint about this CD is the inclusion of "Sympathy for the Devil," which is a song that I could live the rest of my life without ever hearing again. Woo woo...
GLASSPACK
"Road Warriors" EP, "Powder Keg"
" American Exhaust"
& "American Exhausted"
The Glasspack is one of the greatest bands out there as far as I'm concerned. If you get a chance to see these guys live, GO DO IT. If you're lucky, they'll do a 50 minute version of "Demolition Derby" into "Jim Beam & Good Green." Dirty Dave is truly a modern guitar hero, and one of the best players I've heard.
Powder Keg and American Exhaust share a couple of songs, but you should really get both if you can, because they each have sonhgs that the other doesn't. The EP rules too, and includes a sleeper hit called "Ice Cream, But No Reply." We picked up all three disks, plus the American Exhausted tour video directly from the band at their last live show here in Chicago. Glasspack RULE.S.
Powder Keg also has some of the Powder Keg abest cover art I've ever seen.
GOATSNAKE
"Trampled Under Hoof"
Goddamn, around here we just about ate, slept, and breathed Goatsnake for a while there, and "Trampled Under Hoof" reminds us why. Made up mostly of songs that appeared previously on other compilations and obscure sources, this EP is a great gathering together of scattered bits, with a couple of awesome new tunes thrown in, to really hammer home the greatness of Goatsnake! Even though the intro to "Hot Rod" is one of the most god-damned annoying things I've ever heard over-and-over again, I'd still say that you gotta own this one, or be totally lame.
GOATSNAKE
"1 + Dog Days"
It seems like Southern Lord Records is on a re-release tear, including two Goatsnake classics packed on to one hella-good disc that is a must have for anyone who doesn't already have both of them separately. Oh, wait, guess what? It's got a bonus track that fucking rules called "Knuckleduster," so it looks like you'll have to get this one no matter what. Ha Ha!
GOB-TUM-DEB-
LAM-BIB-YOB
chicago may 24
LOCAL LIVE REVIEW
by Velcro Lewis
"what a goddamn night!
i was so happy to see all these bands play last night, especially since i have to skip emissions.
DOUBLE DOOR 9 PM
one o my fav local bands and good old boys BIBLE OF THE DEVIL opened this fucker up with a uber-tight assload of BOC guitar harmonies and gut ripping rock .seriuosly, these guys are the best rock metal out there and when their record comes out on dead teenager this summer, you will all eat it!
"cocaine years, cocaine tears" is my jam!
lamont followed the BoD set with something different but still damn heavy, loose and tuff. i picked up the tour only cd. havent hadtime to listen yet, but you know i will. if these guys are from boston, like i thought i heard them say, then i have new found faith in new england. great hesher camaro rock...
now i havent seen tummler since last time they played with orange goblin, and even then i was really distracted by drinking and drugs, so this ime i was clear headed and really impressed. brad is a rock and roll drill sargent, barking shit and making it look effortless. good set, really good. not nearly long enough.
debris inc, the supergroup if you will, are damn entertaining and put on a great rowdy punk set. ron holzner, dave chandler and fuckin jimmy bower doin covers (even vitus) andmaking the beer go down alot easier. if the rumours are true about a semi-st. vitus reunion this weekend, you fuckers are lucky.
man man man, orange goblin ARE the best damned biker rock band ever. but you already knew that. what can i say that you dont already know? nothing, but i'll tell ya,youd never expect a band like this to be as approachable as orange goblin. great energy, great set. new shit is "tits" as i heard some throwback say...
then i wandered over to the note for the after party after gettin a bunch of hot dogs. the place was packed. like 150 longhairs on a mondau night @ 200am. impressive. the note has become a cool place after all. stu and shawn from csr.com have made this place tolerable with some damn good shows and promotions. ronnie from indian behind the bar = glug glug glug.
while double fisting , i watched this YOB band destroy the place. cool heavy woodsmen metal. they played a long set, which was cool since all the bands i saw earlier had to play bshorter sets.
anyway, every may/july we get a bunch of great bands rolling thru on their way to emissions and it makes up for my lack of gettin my ass to youngstown."
GRAND MAGUS
Self Titled CD
Grand Magus is a big favorite in our house & somebody around here plays it at least once a week, even though we've had it & heard it forever. Derided by some as being "like Soundgarden," we like them because, well, we kind of liked Soundgarden once, & we would have liked them a Hell of a lot better if they sounded more like Grand Magus!
GRAVITRON
LOCAL
"The Dawning of the Finite Moment of Now"
I love Gravitron! Musically, they go in unexpected places, but remain full of hooks that stand out in my i-tunes folder when I'm just listening randomly. Lyrically, you gotta love the sing-a-long-ability of lines like "Three O'Clock in the Morning, Riding rails, Going outbound!" Vocallly... what can I say? Gravitron needs help in the vocals department. They need effects, or one of those pitch correcting machines, or a new singer, or to become an instrumental band, or something! The singer/guitar player, Kevitron, and singer/drummer Davitron are both friends of mine, and really great guys, but I gotta be honest. I love the music, but the singing needs a hand. I'll cop another reviewer's words, and say that this disc is a "Diamond in the rough."
THE GREAT ESCAPE
"Escape from Reality"
I think that Northern Europe must be the Stoner Rock manufacturing capitol of the World at this point, and The Great Escape is one of the region's finest new products in the genre. It has driving fuzz guitars that will hypnotize you, and catching leads and hooks that will have you barking for more. Liberal use of tremelo and other spacey effects make this one particulalry enjoyable for an old cosmonaut like me.
? H ?
HERBERT
"Steppin' Off to Eden"
Sounds like a mixture of Sloth & Monster Magnet if you ask me. Good stuff.
HERETIC'S FORK
non-local
Self titled
This is some top notch DOOM here, with heavy atmospheric interludes. As a whole the disk is a dark journey through a foresaken soundscape that brings the listener closer to oblivion with each auditory step. Music to go to sleep by, if you want to dream about the End of the World.
HERMANO
"Only a Suggestion"
Hermano is one of those super groups that seems to be made up of people from a bunch of other super groups, including John Garcia of Kyuss, Unida, Slo Burn, etc singing the vocals, which makes it sound like a long-lost Kyuss record to me, which makes it an instant classic.
HIDDEN HAND
"Divine Propaganda"
Wino is like wine: he just gets better over time!
This new Hidden Hand CD is friggin' awesome, Man. Musically & lyrically, it's more sophisticated than anything else I've heard from Wino. Obsessed, St, Vitus, Spirit Caravan, Place of Skulls; all really great bands, but this disk is different. It's way political & conspiratorial, for one thing, and I'm into that shit for sure. The vocals, shared with bass player, Bruce Falkinburg, are clear & strong, which is good, because you'll want to catch what they're saying. The recommended reading list on the jacket is much appreciated too!
This disk is up for CD of The Year 2003 from me.
HIGH RISE
"Live"
&
"High Rise II"
High Rise are from Japan, & they sound a little bit like, as if The Stooges met Guitar Wolf, and formed a cult to worship guitars, and then went insane and destroyed all the guitars in the world. The live-ness of the "LIVE" CD degrades the quality of the sound a little, but the guitars still blaze, & many pedal-stompings ensue. High Rise might be some of the most guitar-oriented people alive, but I especially dig the lyrics, Man.
HIGH VOLUME
"The Stoner Rock Collection"
High Times Records & High Times Magazine have released a kick-ass comp that contains some great shit from some of our favorite bands, including High on Fire, The Hidden Hand, & Bottom, just to name a few. Ah, what the fuck, I'll just name them all, and if your smart, you'll know what to do:
Gas Giant, Bad Wizard, Clutch, Nebula, Unida, Orange Goblin, Suplecs, Sea of Green, The Formula, CoC, & Mystick Krewe of Clearlight.
HUMBUCKER
"Mondo Electro"
I got this CD from the guitar player at a Penance show, because Humbucker is his other band. Penance fucking ruled that night, so I figured this shit would rule too. Only, the guitar player warned me himself that the singer on this disc is not good, and that they have a new singer now, who is much better. Okay, I thought, who bad can this guy be. The truth, he's not horiible, but he c=gets pretty whiney at times, and after an hour of it, you kinda wanna kill him. The music, however, totally rules, and I'm looking forward to hearing what they sound like now, with their all new & improved singer.
? I ?
ICHABOD
"Let The Bad Times Roll"
These guys are from Lowell, Massachusetts, so I automatically like them. Musically, this CD is all over the Metal, Stoner, Prog, Psych, Crust landscape, and hitting the nails on the head in most of these categories, delivering a solid CD of mixed-up styles. It's kind of different that way & definitely worth picking up.
INDIAN
LOCAL LIVE REVIEW
Live at The Note on December 18th
The Chicago Rock Music Scene is like an onion blossom: The more layers you peel off, the more yummy deep fried goodness you find.
On December 18th, 2003 ChicagoStonerRock.com peeled off all the layers, and presented a free live show at The Note, that deep fried the brains and ear-drums of the festive late-night crowd who turned out to get burned-out by the blistering bass / guitar / drums combo called: INDIAN
Indian rocks. You may not have heard them yet, or even heard OF them, but if you have been lucky enough to catch one of their few live gigs, you know that when Indian plugs in their awesome equipment, Richter scales all over the world get nervous. When you see Indian, you feel Indian You may even feel a warm sensation running down your leg as the vibrations jiggle the piss out of your bladder. You may not care, however, because you will be transfixed by the un-godly sounds being generated by the three unassuming gentlemen on stage.
Ron complains that he "sucks" at bass, but I guess the bass itself must make up for it, because as soon as he touches it, magic things begin to happen. Very loud magic things.
The drummer, Brian, is the intellectual of the group, and beats on shit.
Dylan plays guitar and chews on microphones. The screeches, growling, and spasmodic ejaculations that come out of this twisted man and his tortured instrument will destroy you.
Luckily for us, no one was actually killed by the music, and when the assault was over, we all stood... around... wanting more!
As the organizer of the event, I felt-out the vibe of the crowd after the band left the stage, and here's what I was able to determine:
a) The people where blown away by INDIAN.
b) They wanted them to play longer, possibly forever.
c) Girls like to dance, and Boys like it when they do.
And yes, it's true, people where drinking,& wanting to drink more, so they did, until 4am in the morning! And since the band was done (in more ways than one), I took over the PA system, as DJ Stooby Helmsdeep, and blasted more loud music from my own travelling collection of nihilistic stoner-drug-metal fun. Hooray!!!
Look for INDIAN to have a 7" out soon, and for them to be playing live around Chicago over the next few months. If you like loud, heavy, rock and roll music, do yourself a fucking favor: Go See Indian.
Listen to INDIAN MP3s HERE
INDIAN was just the first free show that ChicagoStonerRock.com has brought to you live at The Note, the second one being SALT of the EARTH, an awesome heavy stoner doom band from Indiana.
-Stu Helm
ISIS
"Signal > 05"
Machine tooled metal, spaced out sonic landscapes, vocals from the depths of Hell, & a slight tinge of The Residents "Mole People" period. Weird.
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THE JESUS & MARY CHAIN
"Psycho Candy"
What's this? Have I gone in-sane??? Well, yes, and no. Psycho Candy is the only J & M Chain disk that I own, so I'm not completely nuts, but it's one of my top 10 records of ALL TIME so, maybe I am a little crazy about it. The songs are vague, cryptic, and might be about fucking, getting fucked over, being hung over, or admiring one's own sexy-ness on a motorcycle, I'm never quite sure. Nuseatingly catchy cords, riffs, & changes, completely destroyed by feedback and distortion, sarcastic vocals, delivered with an "I'd rather be fucking" dettachment. Hell, even the drummer sounds bored. Listening to Psycho Candy is like hearing the Beach Boys drowned in heroin.
LAIR OF THE MINOTAUR
"Demo"
Chicago's own Lair of the Minotaur regularly blow away audiences with their live assault, and now that this here 6-song demo has been picked up (and expanded on) by Southern Lord, I'm sure that the country is about to get the horns, full on. Somewhat faster than most of the other stuff I listen too, Lair of the Monotaur, is Metal with a big "M." I was first lured into The Lair by a song on this demo called "The Wolf" which totally rules, and I was made a fan by their live show, which is not only Metal-as-Fuck, but includes funny jokes by the singer in-between songs.
THE LEROY FIX
LOCAL
"A Redress of Grievances" CDR
These guys are a lot of fun to see live. They've got a real 1970's honky-tonk blues-rock thing going on. They kicked my ass with a cover of "Whole Lotta Rosie" the last time I saw them, and I'm not usually impressed by cover songs. The CDR, on the other hand, doesn't do much for me for some reason. Except for the final track, "The Nietzsche Song." which totally rules, and has a stoner-rock-anthem quality to it. You should see these guys live if you get a chance, you will be very entertained.
LOW TON
"Dead Words"
Soulful, hard-driving stoner rock, in the style of Kyuss or Unida. Low Ton don;t throw as many hooks at you as those two legendary bands, but they pitch a solid game, and throw a couple of very interesting curve balls.
LOFREQ
"If This is the best Ya Got... We Want Our Souls Back."
I bought this CD when I saw these guys open up for Smoke, and it's pretty great stuff. Very frantic & frenetic, and even a little bit crazy, but still in the Stoner Rock catagory. The vocals are nuts.
LOWRIDER
"Ode to Io"
These guys sound like Kyuss never died, but instead moved to Sweden & changed their name to Lowrider. Needless to say, I love it.
LE SEIGNEUR DIABOLIQUE
"Echoes" CDR
Not exactly "Stoner Rock" but definitely one of my favorite things to listen to while stoned. Layered tones & samples, with beats & loops & all kinds of crazy crap going on. Makes me feel all spacey & shit. Available HERE only.
? M ?
MAGNIFIED EYE
"The Last Sun"
These guys sound like Tool, who I only kind of like, but, since these guys only kind of sound like Tool, I think I like them a little better than Tool.
MAMMOTH VOLUME
"Noara Dance"
Even though it's intolerably mellow at times, this CD has some great moments. It's got some heaviness here & there, can be Led Zep-esque, & really Stonery sometimes too.
MELEK-THA
"Astrum Argentinum"
This CD is a non-stop droning doom-fest & the potential sound track to your horrible on screen death. No recognizable instrumentation or intelligible lyrics to get in the way of the pure noise enjoyment.
MIDNIGHT SNAKE
"S/T"
Yet another great psychedelic stoner rock instrumental 3 piece band, Midnight Snake contributes mightily to the Genre.Their self-titled CD is a non-stop WAH-attack, that starts out strong as hell and ends up insane and out of control (in a good way). My roommate compared them favorably to the Japanese psych-noise rock band, High Rise, while I thought they sounded sort of like Japanese instrumental guitar warriors, Sonic Flower. Either way, I guess they sound Japanese to us, even though they''re from LA. The final track is one of the greatest jams I've heard in a while.
MILLIGRAM
Self Titled
These guys are from Boston, so I automatically like them. The fact that this EP kicks ass from beginning to end doesn't hurt their case much either! I highly recommend this one for folks who like faster stuff, with some catchy lyrics, and a little pop sensibilty tossed in every once in a while. Plus, I want to go on record as saying that
"Nipplemountain Clampdown"
is maybe the greatest song title EVER.
MIRROR OF DECEPTION
"Mirror Soil"
This effort is mostly too mellow-dramatic for my tastes, but these German Doomsters snagged me with one track, titled "Dreams of Misery," that has some cool vocals, & is a pretty darn catchy little tune.
MISDEMEANOR
Self Titled & "Five Wheel Drive"
Not to be confused with America's rapping Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliot, these 5 chicks from Germany totally rock, with guitars & stuff. Comparisons to The Runaways would be too obvious, so I'm making one now: They remind me of The Runaways, only more stonery. The vocals hit the same note endlessly, making these guys a "one-to-three songs in a row only" band for me, but I'll listen to any one to three songs from either of these releases, because each song rules equally as much as the next. John Garcia from Kyuss sings background vocals on the track "Love Song," which amounts to a teeny tiny voice way in the distance wailing "woa woa woa" occasionally, but I'll take what I can get.
MOTOCHRIST
"Greetings from the Bonneville Salt Flats"
This CD started out strong, but ultimately seemed lost between punk & metal to me, & not exactly kicking my ass as either, with the exception of a cool cover of "Something to Do," which is one of my all-time favorite Ramones songs. It's a pretty straight cover, just a little louder & raunchier than the original, but it's still really great to hear it.
MUSHROOM RIVER BAND
"Music for the World Beyond"
&
"Simsalabim"
Mushroom River Band is one of those bands from Northern Europe that makes me imagine that Kyuss must have done a couple of HELLA GOOD tours over there that were very well attended by very good rock musicians. Both musically, & vocally, MRB is Kyuss-esque only a lot rougher, tougher, faster & meaner. Both titles contain sleeper hits galore, and if American rock radio was ANY GOOD AT ALL, Mushroom River Band would be a household name.
? N ?
NAMANAX
"Monstrous"
Sometimes I want to hear songs. At other times, I just want to hear sounds. This CD satisfies that 2nd craving. Especially the 4th track, which is just fifteen seconds short of being a half-hour in length, & is a churning, droning, slowly exploding battle to the death between giant sized monsters created by rogue atoms in a nuclear nightmare gone horribly wrong. I think the Earth survives though, so it's Okay.
NAMSILAT
"Rapture"
Unfortunately these guys broke up & this CD doesn't even come close to revealing how awesome they were live. With nothing but vocals, one guitar, & drums -- no bass -- .these guys were one of the heaviest acts around for a the few seconds that they existed. The CD might still be available here & there, & is definitely worth having, even though it's much less heavy than the live shows. I heard a rumor that two of these guys were starting a new band called Weird Beard a few years ago, but I never heard anything else about it. Bummer.
NATAS
"Ciudada de Brahman" & "Delmar"
Natas sounds a lot like Kyuss, only more mellow, but not too mellow, and in Spanish. The over all feel of both of these CDs is like a heavy version of Exotica music, only without the cheesy sound effects. The Natas sound is almost as if Arthur Lymon was alive, & cool, & in a really great stoner band, from Argentina. The first disc is slightly underproduced, but it still rules. Both discs, and probably anything by Natas, are must-have material.
LOS NATAS
"München Sessions"
If you ask me, Natas is a band that can do no wrong, and this latest 2 disc release from the ever increasingly cool Electro Hasch label is no exception. At first I mostly thought of Los Natas as the "Argentinian Kyuss," but they've grown way beyond that in my mind, to become the number one stoner rock band in the world! I'm ain't shittin' you , Man. Numero Uno del Mundo. This release has a lot of old songs that are on other classic CDs, like Del Mar, and Cuidad de Brahman (which might both be out of print, but the whole thing seems to have been recorded in one day -- live in the studio? -- in München, Germany. There's not a whole lot of info on this thing, so I wish I could tell ya what's the deal, but alls I can say is, if you like Natas, buy it, you won't be let down.
THE NAUT
"S/T"
I'm usually suspicious of any band with the word "The" in their name (except for punk bands) so when I got this disc by The Naut, I was naturally expecting it to suck. Boy was I wrong!!! This thing fucking rules! It's a 3 song EP, that clocks in at about 20 minutes, more than half of which is taken up by one killer song called "Leeches." The vocals -- when there are any -- sound kind of Weedeatery, and the music is slow, heavy, distorted, sludge-soaked, & occasionally psychedellic. Doom, just the way I like it! Great shit from a great band from Belfast, Ireland, despite the "The."
NEBULA
"To The Center"
A stoner rock classic. Don't shame your entire family by not owning this CD.
NICE CAT
"Self Titled"
Get out your label-gun and stick "Stoner-Chick Rock" to this one. I dug it on the very first listening. Obvious comparisons to Bottom & Acid King (two of my all-time favorite bands) must be made, but Nice Cat is slightly more punk at times than those guys. Good stuff!
? O ?
OPERATOR : GENERATOR
"Polar Fleet"
This is one of my favorite CDs, but I don't know why. Maybe it's the cryptic lyrics, or the boring guitars, or near total lack of personality to the vocals. Or even the CD packaging itself, which has no photos or info about the band. Maybe I like the mystery as much as the music, which despite what I just wrote, is really good.
OTEP
"Sevastra" advanced sampler
I'm just going to come staight out and say it: Otep rules because she has the most insanely non-girlie vocals EVER. When she talks, & sometimes when she sings, she sounds like a regular girl, but then a change happens, and... holy shit... unleash the demons. The music is pretty slick, & not always my cup of tea, but when Otep rips into her voacl thing, my nuts start to vibrate, and it's ALL GOOD.
PINES
"S/T EP"
Pines are one of my all-time favorite local bands to see live, and they always bust out an excellent set of all-instrumental metal, that's heavy, intelligent, & infectious all at the same time. This 4 song EP, recently released on Grey Flight records from California is almost as killer as their live set, only lacking the raw energy and booming sound that live shows will always have over studio work, but still conveying the complexity and force of what the Pines' sound is. I personally think these guys are the ultimate good time party band (but not in a frat boy/Hawaiian Shirt kind of way), because I've never seen a crowd that didn't have fun watching a Pines' set.
LAST NIGHT'S PINES SHOW
chicago April 14
LOCAL LIVE REVIEW
by Stu Helm
Man, The Note has got to be the craziest bar I've ever been associated with, as a professional DJ, a licensed booze slinger, or even a common drunkard! It's, like, practically Deadsville until about 2AM, and then it suddenly fills with pant-loads of party people! And then it rocks hard until 4am. The PINES record release party last night was no exception this strange pattern.
There was a small, attractive, crowd of friends and fans hanging out, yelling at each other over the usual loud doom & stoner CDs for the first half of the night, and then BOOM, at the 2 O'Clock hour, the joint filled-up and the PINES took the stage.
Pines are one of our absolute best local bands. Three dudes kicking out a non-stop set of instrumental metal at it's best, my friends, and the crowd loved it. These guys are a band to keep an eye on for sure, as they build an audience to feed their killer set list to. Super nice guys as well, who are looking to play out at least once a month, so if you can book 'em, book 'em, and if you can see 'em, see 'em.
After Pines, there was a surprise performance by a crazy band called BLOOD COW. They were in town, with a cancelled show, and so, since they had a van-load of equipment and nowhere to play, we said, "Come on board!"
Why the fuck not, right?
And they were great! Fast. Angry. Mentally ill. (These are appropriate words.)
Again, the crowd appreciated them, and the bands both mentioned to me that they appreciated playing in front of an appreciative crowd.
See you next week for the Glasspack, Redneck Exorcist, and (most likely) High Plains Drifter show.
Another freebie for y'all!
-Stü
PLASTIC CRIMEWAVE & THE FAKE
LOCAL
"Live at the Hideout" CDR
These are our local garage, psych, rock gurus, who have been compared to Chrome, Twink, The Nomads, & even Sabbath! The liveness of this recording causes the quality of the sound to suffer, but if you can still find it, I'd still recommend it.
PORN (THE MEN OF)
"Wine Women & Song"
This new one from The Men of Porn is really fucking cool, Man. It starts out all weird and spacey and then goes all over the place, always remaining solidly in the HEAVY zone. There are some Electric-Wizard-type chords, and some Meatjack-like moments, but that's not to say that PORN is trying to sound like anybody. These guys are some of the more creative dudes in the genre, who are not afraid to go strange places, to produce totally unique music, that never gives up the Rock. Fans of the Melvins ought to dig this baby for sure.
? Q ?
THE QUILL
Self Titled
& "Voodoo Caravan"
Totally kick-ass rock & roll that sounds like Led Zep never died. Comes dangerously close to sounding like G 'n' F 'n' R at moments, but stays clearly in the realm of kicking ass most of the time. Highlights on disc one are "Sweetly," A Sinner's Fame," and "Lodestar." (Listen for the "splat" on that last tune!) Spotlights on the second disc include the title track & "Shapes of Afterlife."
? R ?
RAMESSES
"We Will Lead You To Glorious Times"
Super-Heavy, totally killer, 100 percent doom-encrusted sludge of the absolute most excellent viarety from former members of Electric Wizard. 'nuff said. CDR plus coms with two killer videos on it too.
RED GIANT
"Ultra-magnetic Glowing Sound"
This was my surprise favorite for a while, & sill ranks high on my list of CDs worth owning. It took me a while to figure out that the echo-plex is responsible for all the weird guitar noises, which made me respect it even more, because those things are hard to master, especially to the degree that this band has. There's a lot of stuff going on, & many changes on this record, & it does tend to noodle around at times, but it's got some future classics in there for sure.
RED HARVEST
"Sick Transit Gloria Mundi"
A little more techno than I usually go for, but I fell in love with the bone crunching noises & hopeless outlook on humanity. The title track, along with "Dead" & "Dead men Don't Rape" are the highlights. WARNING: Press the "stop" button before the bonus tracks begin, or suffer in techno remix hell!!!
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THE SABIANS
"Shiver"
What can I say about the Sabians, except that I had HIGH HOPES for this one, seeing as how it has Chris Hakius & Justin Marler from Sleep on it, but it was not like Sleep at all. Far far from it, in fact. Like, the opposite of Sleep. Most Un-Sleep-Like, indeed. As a whole, I found this CD to be too poppy for me, but it does have decent moments , including what sounds lik a heavy version of the folk standard "Will the Circle be Unbroken," titled here, "Broken Circle."
SALT OF THE EARTH
"The Purity of Oblivion"
Salt of the Earth is one of my favorite local (Indiana) bands and their new 4 song CD demo is totally awesome. To my ears, these guys sound a lot like High On Fire, but have their own sound for sure, that's slower and more classic-doom, with lead guitars that are sweet and psychedelic, but ripping and tough at the same time. Seeing these guys live is a treat, because they're just three dudes tearing through a kick-ass set with very little hoo-ha in between songs. "This one's called Not of This Earth." might be the only words you'll hear coming from the stage all night, other than lyrics, of course, which are delivered in a way that reminds me of Sleep's Jerusalem epic. I can't wait to hear what these guys sound like once they get signed and put out full length! Aything they do is pre-destined to be a future classic.
SAMUS
"Desengano"
Wow! One of my new all-time favorites, this disc is a masterful trip through a burbling stew of meaty morsles & tasty treats. From pure sludged-out doom, to crazy tape-loop'd beats & samples, to a completely insane exotica version of the classic instumental song "Caravan" (Benny Goodman, The Ventures, etc.) this CD is a schmorgey-borgey of deranged delights. Highly recommended for people who like it heavy & wierd at the same time.
SCENE KILLER
Self Titled CD
Another super group, this time made up of people from Solarized, The Atomic Bitchwax, Core, Monster Magnet, & Others. Annoyingly detailed liner notes don't detract from the undeniable greatness of the music. Heavy, bluesy, trippy, & peddle laden stoner rock at it's finest. Future Classics abound.
SECRET BEACH
"Solos"
This DIY CDR from local artist Eric Roth is about one-hundred-million-trillion times lighter than most of the music I listen to, but, despite my bad-ass metal self, I think I like it. The all-instrumental songs are very well constructed and executed on guitar, bass, keyboards and synth., but part of what I like about it is the story behind it. Eric described in an e-mail to me, what sounded like great times, late night jams, good friends, psychoactive drugs and a really cool spot along the lakeshore that the tunes grew out of. I've always been a fan of mellow moods induced through music -- I had an awesome collection of Hawaiian vinyl for a good many years -- and I still buy those cheesy "environmental" CDs that have babbling brooks, singing crickets, and what-not on them, so I was psyched that Eric also chose to include 19 minutes of raw recorded sound from the shore of the lake. Whooshing waves, chirping birds... ahhhh... sleepy time... The jacket includes the tabulature, so that any one of us might some day find and join Eric, to jam it mellow, on his secret beach.
SIXTY WATT SHAMAN
"Reason to Live"
Straight up awesome kick-ass stoner rock, with ample fuzz, catchy riffs, & tough, but "singerly" vocals. The Track "Our Name is War" is a highlight. Very awesome tune.
SLEEP
"Jerusalem"
Awesome Classic. Own it. Love it. Don't be lame, you fuck.
SMOKE
"SMOKE 2004 EP"
Aaaawe yeah! Here at the House of Mumble, SMOKE (from California) is one of our all time favorite bands, and they are totally kick-ass guys that we met and smoked with, when they played here about a year ago.
When they told us they had a new 4 song EP out, we nearly shit, and when they sent us a couple of copies, we really did shit. Turds of joy!
"Old Mil." is the third cut, and my current favorite. It's a long, slow, building, driving, instrumental that "Kicks-in" about five or six different times through out the song, getting heavier each time. Other tracks include a new version of "Here it Comes" (originally from their first LP), and a new version of "Preacherman" (previously only available on the THUNDERFUCK 69 cassette tape & obscure comps), as well as a low and slow bluesy number called "Succubus" that will sneak up on you and hump your mind like a very large dog on a very hot day.
We're also psyched to hear from Marc in Smoke that they're in the studio again, recording another full-length, and itching to get back on the road. He assures us that Chicago is going to be one of their main stops! We'll keep you posted.
SMOKE
Self Titled & "Smoke Follows Beauty"
Smoke is my current favorite band. I burned both of these discs onto the hard drive of my Mac so that:
a) I could hear all of their songs in a row, mixed together sweetly & seamlessly by i-tunes, &
b) so that I could keep the original discs as pristine as possible.
That means I'm a geek for this band. All together, this trio dishes up 13 tracks of heavy, bluesy, stoner rock, cloaked in a thick shroud of mystery, sex depravity, & murder. Awesome vocals, ambient interludes; this shit's got it all. Both discs are still available from the band.
SONIC FLOWER
"Heavy Sonic & Flower Groove"
Another guitar oriented band from Japan. These guys have some connection to Church of Misery that I'm too stupid to know, and too lazy to find out. They don't sound much like CoM, that much I know. They're an all instrumental 4 piece, and the music sounds a little "by the numbers" to me at times, but it's good heavy groove rock. Not as psychotic as, say, High Rise, but not un-psychotic either.
SONIC LORD
"Trawling Through Sludge"
I think I paid. like, seven dollars per song to have an e-Bay dude in Germany ship this 2 song EP to me here in the States, and when it got here, it was only a CDR with a color-copy cover. But, you know what, I was psyched, because the first song alone is worth a million Euros to me, so the second song is just gravy, and really good gravy at that. Sonic Lord is a slow, heavy, sludged out doom band, of the variety that Europe seems to be churning out these days (I think they're from England). To my ears, they sound a little bit like the band Sally, or maybe like Orange Goblin on quaaludes, but even heavier. Yep, at roughly $1.15US per minute, I'm a satisfied buyer, and I left positive feedback.
SONS OF OTIS
"Temple Ball"
A Stoner Rock classic. An awesome spaced-out jouney into heavy heaven. Skip over track 7, and you'll be orbiting earth in no time.
SPACEMEN 3
"Alternate Mixes 1987 -89"
More mellow than the usual stoner rock stuff I play, but more rockin' than the current strains of space rock I hear these days. They remind me of the Stooges meets Brian Eno, or something like that.
SPACEBOY
"The Force that Holds Together a Heart Torn to Pieces"
You might think, from the title of this disc, that you're in for some sort of horrible Emo type of experience. But then, you might think, from the band name, the cover artwork, and song titltes like "Strange New Powers" & "Pot Hybernation" that maybe you're in for a trippy droney space-rock ride. But then you might notice that it's produced by Billy Anderson, so you know it's gots to be HEAVY. Well, Spaceboy ain't Emo, that's for sure, and it ain't space-rock either, even though it has some awesome spaced-out moments. This four song EP is very heavy, and abbrasive, and most enjoyable indeed.
SPRITUAL BEGGARS
"On Fire"
DAMN. There is SO much good rock and roll from Europe. I didn't even realize, when I bought this CD, that the singer is the guy from Grand Magus, one of my favorite bands of all-time. This disc only sounds like GM sometimes -- "Young Man, Old Soul" for example -- but it rocks from beginning to end. As compared to GM, it's generally faster & funkier, and it has an organ throughout, which I always dig.
STARCHILD
"S/T"
Think: Early Sabbath. That's what this new Starchild CD sounds like to me, and that's what it'll sound like to you too. If you like early Sabbath -- and you'd better, or you're pretty fuckng lame -- you'll love Starchild, because it's like a whole bunch of brand new early Sabbath songs are being written in the present. Great new songs like, "The Futurist," "Freeedom," and "God Shaped Hole," just to name three, although the CD is awesome from beginning to end, so I just named three random songs off of it. I could have just as easily named "Wings," Eyes of Fire," or "Truth," because those sound like great new old Sabs songs too. Eight songs altogether, and not one that doesn't rule.
THE SUMMER PEOPLE
Self Titled
You know how with some bands, you can say, like, "They'd be awesome if they only had a better singer..." or "They just need a good producer, or sound guy..." or whatever? Well, The Summer people just need a good artist to do the front cover of their CD to achieve stoner rock greatness. The fuzz bass, psychedelic leads, spacey moments, and Fu Man Chu-y vocals are ALL GOOD & place these guys solidly in the Stoner Rock catagory, but this cover art has indie-rock cut-out bin written all over it. It's a good thing they sent it to me for free, because, even though the tunes rule, I never would have bought it if I saw it in a store. So, don't YOU be fooled by the cover: if you see it, buy it!
TEN MILES WIDE
self titled
These guys are from Canada, so right off the bat I'm jealous that their country has cooler marijuana laws than we do, but I won't hold that against them! Ten Miles Wide totally rock. They're heavy, but not doomy, & they sound a little bit like Tummler to me at times, but not always. "Ol Bluey" is like cowboy stoner rock. "Pilsner" is a heavy instumental highlight here, and "The Bloodening I & II" are two great song titles for two great songs. Each less than 20 seconds long.
TERMINAL CHEESECAKE
"Angels in Pigtails"
&
"Pearlesque King of the Jewmost
Oh Man, it took me a long time and costed me a lot of money to find, bid on and finally win a couple of friggin' Terminal Cheescake CDs on e-bay. They go for BIG BUCKS, my friends. BIG bucks. Totally worth it though, if you like the kind of music that is so stoned, so strange, and so heavy that it is confined to the now defunct Pathologocal Records, a label for the criminally insane.
TEST SITE
"S/T"
Sometimes my roomate drives all the way up to Milwaukee just to see bands, and sometimes he comes back with news about a kick-ass band from up there that we'd never heard of before. Test Site is one of those kick-ass bands. Formerly known as Black Water, this power-trio delivers hard, heavy, thumping, psychedelic rock that pulls no punches, and shows no mercy. Music to ride motorcycles to, and to drink, smoke, fuck and do everything else Rock to. The CD is packed with one superbly crafted and delivered song after another, and seeing these guys live -- according to my roommate -- is an experience you won't want to miss.
T.H.U.M.B.
"Lunar Flight EP"
Knowing that former members of the obscure Italian Ooze Rock gods, Fat Rat Grumble where in T.HU.M.B., I naturally had very high expectations for this new EP. I'm happy to reprt that all expectations were met and exceeded. While it's not as experimental or weird as FRG, the chops are there, and it has the sort of architypical European stoner rock sound that I really love (Twin Earth, Mushroom River Band, Lowrider). The title track is a 9 minute space rock journey through the riff nebula system to the galaxy of sonic star clusters, while the other two songs are more rockin' roll, if you know what I mean. There's also a minute and a half of chanting and random noises called Kobal, The Eggman from Venus. I'd compare this EP very favorably to the Monster Magnet classic Tab 25.
TORA! TORA! TORRANCE!
"A Cynics Nightmare"
Originally, I wasn't going to review this CD, not because I don't like it -- because I do -- but because it's not stoner rock. It's punk, more or less. It's snotty, high pitched, annoying punk rock music at it's most post-punk finest, and therefor, not on target for this here Stoner Rock web site. BUT, then I heard the very last song on the CD, mixed into everything else in my i-tunes folder, and my stoned mind MISTOOK it for Sunn0)))! So, there ya go, that qualifies it for a review. So, I like it, so go buy it.
TORSO
"Self Titled"
I'm beginning to think that local three piece heavy intrumental bands are growing in the sewers underneath this city, C.H.U.D.-like. Torso is another fine example of such a band. This demo seems like they've got some room to grow, but it holds a lot of promise. The last tune, "ava 243" is a particularly cool one. I'm looking forward to seeing these guys live.
TRIBES OF NEUROT
"Adaptation & Survival"
This 2 disc CD of droning "insect" noises is meant to be played on two sound systems at the same time, which we did, and it was pretty cool... if you like lots of lots insect noises... which, apparently we do, because we are now drones in the Neurot collective.
TUALATIN
Self Titled CDR
These guys list Slayer, Sleep, Celtic Frost, & High on Fire as their influences, and I think they would make any of those bands proud with this 3 song EP. The music really drives hard and drones from time to time, like Sleep's Jerusalem, or HoF's Surrounded by Thieves. The 3rd song on this disc totally kicks ass, and has a very unique & spaced-out ending. Good shit from this Atlanta based trio! I can't wait to hear a full length.
TUMMLER
Live at The Note on July 31st, & "Early Man" CD
I bought Tummler's CD at the show, & it was a wise purchase. The six tracks listed are great, & the two secret bonus tracks are even greater than that. It's on Small Stone records, which pretty much tells you that you can't go wrong, right?
Tummler is from Champaign, IL, but call both Chicago & St. Louis home as well. I went to see them on a tip from another local band, 18 Speed Tranny, & I'm glad I did. These guys launched a heavy sonic stoner space metal attack on the audience, with strange , but excellent vocals that lie somewhere between Wino & James Hetfield. Their closing number was a longer, slower song, which was the highlight of their set for me. My friend Amy agreed, even though she was mostly there to see The Good God Damns, who were the first band to play, & were pretty good, goddamn it!
TWIN EARTH
"Black Stars in a Silver Sky"
This 9 track release from the North Pole contains many a Future Classic within. Of that there is little doubt. One of my all-time favorite discs, I have played this one to death for my roommate, I'm sure. Although as true immortal gods, Twin Earth can surely never die. Mayhap of Kyuss born, they doth yet posses their own awesome powers, & cosmic arsenal. Imbued with the sage wisdom of all ages, they are indeed worthy of much praise. All Hail, Beard of Stars records for releasing & making available to us this mighty volume! All Hail Twin Earth!
UFOMAMMUT
"Snailking"
This CD is an instant contender for Disc of The Year here at CSR.com HQ! UFOMAMMUT delivers everything the very stoned listener could ever ask for: power chords galore, psychedelic sounds 'n' samples out the wahzoo, spacey interludes, moments of pure doom, fuzz bass riffs, distorted vocals, & obscure themes that stretch the imagination are just a few of the festive features that the bong-hitting community will find here. Heavy as Hell, yet mellow at the same time, if it only came with a bag of salty snack foods, it would be the ultimate high experience
UP JUMPED THE DEVIL
"A Tribute to Robert Johnson"
Okay, so I bought this Japanese Compilation tribute, not because I'm big time into Robert Johnson or anything, but because it was only $6.99 and contains a 10 minute song by the awesome doom / sludge / metal / psych / experimental 3-piece band BORIS. Do you know how much anything associated with Boris goes for on e-bay?!? It's crazy! Like $30 bucks, with 6 days left in the auction & shit! So, I saw it languishing in the bin of my local used record store & snagged it. Is it any good? Oh yeah, it's good. It has some throw aways on it for sure, but the Boris tune alone is worth the .69 cents a minute that I paid for it. Plus, there's some insane gems that are totally bonus.
URSA
"Maximum Volume = Maximum Results" Demo
Ursa is a local band that I would describe as artistically doom-like. There's a chick singer a lot of the times, and towards the middle to the end of the disc, the music takes on an Acid King quality that I really dig. There are some longer, heavy droning-guitar songs on here, and those work out into nice noisey jams and relentless riffs that are pretty great too. Look to see these guys playing live in a tiny club near you, because I bet they are loud as fuck.
? V ?
VESPERTINE
"Transmission from Antiworld"
I'm not 100 percent sure, but I think that this CD was created entirely by one man, & his sonic doom machine. Another droning sound track to the horror movie we call living. I like it because it makes me smile.
VIAJE A 800
"Diablo Roto De..."
If you like Los Natas, which I do, you're practically guaranteed to dig Viaje A 800. They're slightly heavier, doomier, more psychedellic, and experimental than Natas (all good things), but they've got the same awesome stoner riffs & mellow wanderings going on. And if you can understand Spanish, bonus for you!
? WXY ?
WALL OF SLEEP
"Overlook the All"
Heavy, riffy, stoner doom rock from Hungary. 4 tracks, 2 of which might rank as Future Classics some day. The gratuitous straight forward cover of Sabbath's "The Wizard" is made more interesting by the amusing Hungarian Accent.
YOB
"Elaborations on Carbon" & "Catharsis"
YOB has one of the most unique sounds going in the Doom scene. With vocal stylings that range in delivery from that of a derranged insect on Mars to Cookie Monster on a downer, and music that is HEAVY, with interludes of spaced-out bliss, YOB brings it all to the Stoner-Drug-Metal party. They even include the sounds of drizzling rain on the first disc, so you have a built-in excuse to stay inside, get high, and listen to YOB all day. We sometimes argue about which of these two releases is better, but the truth is, you should almost always listen to them back-to-back as if they are one CD.
YOB
"The Illusion of Motion"
With this third official release, YOB has totally solidified themselves as doom-gods supreme. Three mystic masters from Oregon, YOB really know how to weave a psychedelic tale out of cosmic threads dipped in lysergic goo. This disc definitely seems like a PART THREE when you 're familiar with their other two full length masterpeices. Together they make up a tripdich of tonal madness that rivals anything painted by the insane fungus eaters of olde. If you start with disc one and listen all the way through, from the first throbbing sounds of "Elaborations of Carbon" to the last "fwing" of guitar at the very end of "Illusion of Motion," and you accidentally had your i-tunes set on "loop," there's a real chance that you may never come back from your journey into space.
? Z ?
ZAIUS
Self Titled
These guys will probably cringe when they read this, but I AM lazy, and these ARE lazy music reviews, so I'm just going to say the unavoidable: Zaius sounds like Sound Garden. Almost exactly! So, if you like Sound Garden -- and we do like Sound Garden -- you'll love Zaius. In fact, I'm jealous of every kid that grew up in & around Herrin, Illinois, because it would be like growing up with Sound Garden in your home town, and that would fucking rule. These guys are proud founding members of SIMC.
ZAIUS
"3 Song Demo"
Zaius fucking tears it up with this killer new demo, featuring an awesome new sound from these hard working, grizzled, gods of rock. As founding members and organisers of the Southern Illinois Metal Collective (SIMC), Zaius has been crushing killing and destroying enthusiastic crowds of kids in tiny venues, in small towns in the bottom half of the state for years. They've gone through some shit, and some changes, and their sound is crustier, crunchier, heavier, and more doom-laden than ever. I fuckin' love it! The new singer has an awesome rough-hewn delivery, and the guitars are grinding and psychedellic, in a very loud and raunchy way. Make no mistake, this shit is METAL, and will destroy all fake metal on contact. It compares very favorably to Church of Misery, and all three songs are instant favorites around here. The salute to "Badass Steve" McQueen is much appreciated!
Listen to "Mississippi Pirates" HERE.
ZEBULON PIKE
Self Titled CDR
Five songs, no vocals, ALL GOOD. These guys almost sound like Black Sabbath never replaced Ozzy, but decided to become an instrumental band. Really great riffs, really awesome song titles such as (Behold!) The Wizzard's Fountain, The White Light of Black Stars, & Ümlaüt Överdöse, and no really stupid lyrics to ruin the rock.
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