Berlin heavy rockers SAMAVAYO debut new song "Cross The Line" exclusively via The Obelisk.

With their fifth album "Dakota" German heavy rock trio SAMAVAYO have just unveiled a new undaunted track entitled "Cross The Line", streaming exclusively via The Obelisk today.

 

As always with their music, SAMAVAYO aim to raise awareness about topics that count. The band comments: "Cross The Line is about the current state of our societies, crossing the lines of humanity to a point of no return while milions of people are needing our help."

 

Check out new song "Cross The Line" HERE

 

Described as "a distillation of hard and heavy rock, heavy psychedelia and Middle Eastern influences that results in a vibe not quite like anything else going" by The Obelisk, "Dakota" is the band's fifth album and their first record as a three-piece.

 

Formed in 2010, German heavy rock band SAMAVAYO have been a trio for only three years now. All three band members grew up in East Berlin's neighbourhoods of Lichtenberg and Friedrichshain. As a 10-year old kid, singer Behrang Alavi fled to Berlin as a political refugee from his home country of Iran, whereas brothers Andreas and Stephan Voland grew up in the GDR in East Berlin.

 

After the fall of the Berlin Wall, the city opened its doors, letting in all cultural influences from abroad. The capital became a melting pot where a singer from Teheran and two brothers from Berlin could start making music. More than 500 live shows in Europe and overseas followed, including Brazil, Albania, Greece, Croatia, France. Ranking among the most touring stoner bands in Germany, SAMAVAYO performed at Stoned from the Underground and will make an appearance at Desertfest Berlin this spring. 

 

This new album entitled Dakota blends the sound of 70’s and 90’s rock, combining progressive instrumental jams and heavier mosh-inducing parts with oriental elements and unusual rhythms. The best example is ”Arezuye Bahare“, which is SAMAVAYO's second song in Persian language. Iranian singer Behrang Alavi sings about freedom: as a former political refugee, Behrang reacts to a current European topic that affects him deeply because of his own experience.

 

Recorded at Big Snuff Studio by Richard Berhens (Heat, former Samsara Blues Experiment) in Berlin, no digital correction tool was used in order to preserve the band’s live energy, which they are well-known for. The album was named after the Native American tribe: “dakota” means a friend, an ally. A perfect translation of SAMAVAYO‘s creative synergy and unity as a band throughout the years.

 

SAMAVAYO LINKS

Official website⎪Facebook⎪Twitter⎪Youtube⎪Bandcamp 

Setalight Records website

 

 

ALCEST Working on New Album; Band Issues Statement

Parisian Post-metal duo ALCEST will release its new album this fall via Prophecy Productions. The band -- vocalist / multi-instrumentalist Neige and drummer Winterhalter -- are currently putting the finishing touches on the record, which they have described as "intense songs full of contrasts and dynamics." The as-yet-untitled release follows the duo's celebrated 2014 LP, Shelter, hailed as “capable of great feats of mood and beauty” by Pitchfork and “intoxicating” by Rolling Stone.

   "For the past 3 months we have been recording our new album, and right now we are doing small adjustments on the mix," comments Neige. "It's coming to an end of a very long journey (the longest studio experience we've had so far) and we feel quite exhausted, but really happy. For each album we try to challenge ourselves, developing the songs in new directions. This time will be just as special, but also a return to the approach we had in our earlier albums; with intense songs full of contrasts and dynamics. Even if this album is quite "alien" in character, we felt the need to come back to the origins of the project. The release date is planned for Autumn 2016 and then we will embark on a 37 date European co-headlining tour with the Japanese band MONO. We are very much looking forward to this tour and to show you the work of our last couple of years."

This summer, ALCEST will join labelmates GERM, Secrets of the Moon, Les Discrets, Helrunar, Völur and more at the 2016 Prophecy Fest, set to take place July 29-30 inside Balver Höhle, "a natural cave from old stone age" in Balve, Germany. For full details, visit this location.

   ALCEST toured North America to rousing response last fall, proving night in night out why they are considered one of the most creative and captivating bands in the world. As part of its coverage of the tour, the Austin Chronicle noted that "Alcest practically invented metalgaze, throwing doomy black metal and gauzy dream pop into a blender for critically-acclaimed lessons in mindfuckery," and the Seattle Stranger proclaimed, "No black-metal act has deliberately pushed the genre’s trademark blizzard whiteout sound into tranquil and sublime realms quite like France’s Alcest."

   Follow ALCEST on Facebook and twitter.

Cities Of Mars – Celestial Mistress EP

This trio first made themselves heard last year when they released two tracks digitally called ”Cyclopean Ritual” and “The Third Eye”. The presentation was impressive. This was the first taste of an album which should tell the story of the Martian city of Bahb-Elon founded in 9125 BC until 1971 when a stranded agent of the Soviet Union discovers it. You can follow the timeline on www.citiesofmars.se to see in what order to play the songs to get the correct storyline so far. Very ambitious indeed and it will be truly exciting to see how Cities Of Mars will manage to connect all the dots once they have the support of a record label (yeah I’m acting as somewhat of a PR-agent here…) and can fulfill the vision both musically and visually. The potential is enormous.

Soundwise Monolords god of thunder Esben Willems has really managed to capture the unique sound of Cities Of Mars in his Berserk Audio studio. It’s raw and dirty but still with enough warmth and fuzziness that makes the room shake and beer glasses break when you turn up the volume. Because this is music designed to be played loud. 

Musically Cities Of Mars has managed to blend lots of cool influences in the mix. There is the obvious strain of doom present of course. But having two singers who have a nice hardcore feeling to their vocals makes the doom and fuzz get a life of its own. A nice variation of a genre that sometimes gets stuck in old habits. 

But there is more to the music but heavy riffs and catchy choruses. There are many parts where the psychedelia kicks in with ambient sections where we float away in the vast space. Cities Of Mars uses this in a very smart way to create a great dynamic in their music. And it gives an extra heavy effect in songs like “Beneath A Burning Sun” and the mammoth title track when the mighty riffs crack the Martian sky. 

-The Void

Live at the Wizard Of Fuzz Festival 2015

https://citiesofmars.bandcamp.com/

KATATONIA LAUNCHES FULL ALBUM STREAM OF "THE FALL OF HEARTS" INCLUDING ADDITIONAL BONUS TRACKS TEASER

SWEDEN - Sweden's dark progressive rock/metal quintet, Katatonia, is now streaming its brand new studio album The Fall of Hearts in its entirety on SoundCloud at:https://soundcloud.com/peaceville/sets/katatonia-the-fall-of-hearts. As an added bonus, the stream features an extra track of clips of the three The Fall of Hearts bonus songs released across the various formats of the album. The Fall of Hearts has been released on the following formats via Peaceville Records: Deluxe 12" hardbook featuring: (check it out - https://vimeo.com/167247064  /https://youtu.be/fKxYo7gqQ1w) 30+ page artwork book, with alternative album artwork from Travis Smith. CD The Fall of Hearts 12 original album tracks plus 2 bonus tracks 'Sistere' & 'Vakaren'. DVD-V The Fall of Hearts 12 original tracks hi resolution stereo & 5.1 audio (DTS 96/24 5.1 & 96/24 Stereo LPCM) mixed by Bruce Soord. Special Double 10" vinyl edition of The Fall of Hearts 12 original tracks plus bonus track 'Wide Awake In Quietus' (with MP3 download code) featuring guest guitarist Paradise Lost's Gregor  Mackintosh. 2 Disc CD & DVD Mediabook featuring: CD The Fall of Hearts 12 original album tracks plus bonus track 'Vakaren'. DVD-V The Fall of Hearts 12 original tracks and includes hi resolution stereo & 5.1 audio (DTS 96/24 5.1 & 96/24 Stereo LPCM) mixed by The Pineapple Thief & Katatonia collaborator Bruce Soord offering audiophiles an outstanding listening experience. CD featuring: The Fall of Hearts 12 original album tracks with a total playing time of 67:32 minutes. Double gatefold 180g heavy weight LP featuring: The Fall of Hearts 12 original album tracks plus bonus track 'Sistere' (with MP3 download code). Digital download featuring: The Fall of Hearts 12 original album tracks plus bonus track 'Wide Awake In Quietus' featuring guest guitarist Paradise Lost's Gregor Mackintosh. CD, LP, and Deluxe Edition exclusive bundles can be purchased now at:www.peaceville.com/store and: http://www.omerch.eu/shop/katatonia/. The digital edition is available at: http://smarturl.it/KAT_TFOH_DIGITAL. The Fall of Hearts, the official follow-up to 2012's acclaimed Dead End Kings, was recorded at Stockholm's Studio Gröndahl and Tri-lamb Studio, and was self-produced by Katatonia's Anders Nyström and Jonas Renkse. Mixing and mastering duties were carried out by Jens Bogren (Opeth, Ihsahn, Devin Townsend) at Fascination Street Studios, with Karl Daniel Lidén (Switchblade, The Ocean, Greenleaf) brought in as engineer. The dramatic yet desolate artwork was created by long time Katatonia designer and illustrator Travis Smith. A lyric video for the track "Old Heart Falls" can be seen on YouTube at:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIGBNc2nFZA&feature=youtu.be or Vimeo at:https://vimeo.com/160732345 while "Serein" is streaming on YouTube at:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_o_j6v3PGE&feature=youtu.be and Vimeo at:https://vimeo.com/165550393.  The Fall of Hearts track list: Takeover [07:09] Serein [04:46] Old Heart Falls [04:22] Decima [04:46] Sanction [05:07] Residual [06:54] Serac [07:25] Last Song Before the Fade [05:01] Shifts [04:54] The Night Subscriber [06:10] Pale Flag [04:23] Passer [06:25]   Bonus Tracks: Vakaren [04:54] (CD/DVD & Deluxe Edition) Sistere [04:11] (LP & Deluxe Edition) Wide Awake in Quietus [04:59] (Digital & Deluxe Edition) "Inspiring and forward-looking, this album proves that at 25, Katatonia are still restless and refuse to rest on their laurels." - AllMusic   "The Fall of Hearts is an absolute jewel from start to finish" - Decibel Magazine   "full of both darkness and light, heaviness and softness, drama and understatement...intricate with a lot of subtleties, but also a lot of accessibility." - Loudwire   "a stellar point of entry into Katatonia's craft as well as a probable centerpiece of the next several years of the band's journey." - Metal Injection   "full of passionate pleas, the driving need for redemption, gorgeous instrumental tones, undeniably affecting performances and extremely cool sonic accents." - MetalSucks   "a tremendous album...the first page in an exciting new chapter for Katatonia" -PopMatters Katatonia has spent the past four years since the release of Dead End Kings touring the world, as well as expanding its fan base through two special albums on Kscope, the sister label of Peaceville. 2013 saw the release of Dethroned & Uncrowned which exploded the core of the songs on Dead End Kings creating new moods and textures. In 2015, the band released the live acoustic album and concert film, Sanctitude. Both releases illustrate the band's journey toward this, its current, more progressive sound. The Fall of Hearts is the first record to feature new drummer Daniel 'Mojjo' Moilanen along with the addition of recently recruited guitarist Roger Öjersson (Tiamat), who came in just in time to sprinkle some blistering solos on the album. With its new lineup, Katatonia will continue to push its musical boundaries beyond its roots in the metal scene while drawing in new fans from across the musical spectrum like peers such as Opeth and Anathema have also done, cementing Katatonia's place as one of the most revered and cherished of all bands in the world of modern heavy music. Stay tuned for more information on Katatonia and The Fall of Hearts, out now on Peaceville. -###-

Katatonia live:   Festivals... 06/19 - Clisson, France @ Hellfest 07/03 - Helsinki, Finland @ Tuska Festival 07/09 - Bouckenborgh, Belgium @ Anterwerp Metal Festival 07/10 - Bouckenborgh, Belgium @ Anterwerp Metal Festival 07/29 - Sibiu, Romania @ ARTmania Festival 08/05 - Corroios, Portugal @ Vagos Open Air Festival 08/17 - Dinkelsbühl, Germany @ Summer Breeze Festival 08/18 - Dinkelsbühl, Germany @ Summer Breeze Festival 08/19 - Dinkelsbühl, Germany @ Summer Breeze Festival 08/20 - Dinkelsbühl, Germany @ Summer Breeze Festival   South America tour... 08/28 - Mexico City, Mexico @ Circo Volador 08/31 - Santiago, Chile @ Teatro Cariola 09/02 - Buenos Aires, Argentina @ Uniclub 09/04 - São, Paulo, Brazil @ Overload Music Fest 09/22 - Bulgaria, Plovdiv, Ancient Theatre (The Great Cold Distance orchestra show)   Fall Hearts Over Europe tour... 09/25 - Malmö, Sweden @ KB 09/27 - Leipzig, Germany @ Taubchenthal 09/28 - Frankfurt, Germany @ Batschkapp 09/30 - Koln, Germany @ Live Music Hall 10/02 - Berlin, Germany @ Huxleys 10/04 - Gdansk, Poland @ B90 10/05 - Warsaw, Poland @ Progresja 10/06 - Krakow, Poland @ Kwadrat 10/07 - Vienna, Austria @ Arena 10/08 - Zurich, Switzerland @ Dynamo 10/09 - Pratteln, Switzerland @ Konzertfabrik 27 10/10 - Milan, Italy @ Alcatraz 10/12 - Barcelona, Spain @ Razzmatazz 2 10/13 - Seville, Spain @ Custom 10/15 - Madrid, Spain @ But 10/17 - Marseille, France @ Jas' Rod 10/18 - Paris, France @ Trabendo 10/19 - Strasbourg, France @ Laiterie 10/21 - London, UK @ O2 Shepherds Bush Empire 10/23 - Antwerp, Belgium @ Trix 10/24 - Luxembourg, Luxembourg @ Rockhal 10/26 - Copenhagen, Denmark @ Pumpehuset 10/25 - Hamburg, Germany @ Markthalle 10/26 - Copenhagen, Denmark @ Pumpehuset 10/27 - Oslo, Norway @ John Dee 10/28 - Gothenburg, Sweden @ Pustervik 10/29 - Stockholm, Sweden @ Debaser Medis   Katatonia is:   Jonas Renkse - Vocals Anders Nyström - Guitar Roger Öjersson - Guitar Niklas Sandin - Bass Daniel Moilanen - Drums  Katatonia online: www.katatonia.com www.facebook.com/katatonia https://twitter.com/KatatoniaBand

FARFLUNG - New album "5" (heavy space rock / USA)

Out now on Heavy Psych Sounds - LISTEN & DOWNLOAD

"The most complex songwriting that Farflung have ever produced to date (...)
you’d have to be bloody silly to let it pass you by." Iron Fist Zine

"Trippy, hallucinatory music that’s a soundtrack to space travel while catchy hooks and infectious vocals permeate the lysergic haze." Metal Nexus

"One of the premier underground psych/stoner/space rock bands currently out there."
Outlaws Of The Sun

Internationally recognized as torchbearers in the contemporary space rock scene, championed by the likes of Helios Creed of Chrome, Henry Rollins or Voivod - who curated them at Roadburn 2012 - FARFLUNG have been altering people's minds with their psychedelic brew of fuel-driven space rock for over twenty years now. Their 1995 aptly-titled debut "25,000 Feet Per Second" immediately placed them at the forefront of the rock underground, leading them to collaborate with numerous iconic musicians such as Nik Turner (Hawkwind), Dave Catching and Gene Trautmann (Queens Of The Stone Age & Eagles Of Death Metal), Damo Suzuki (Can), or Andy Colquhoun (The Pink Faries, Deviants, Warsaw Pakt). Throughout the years, they have shared the stage with The Melvins, Voivod, Fu Manchu, Nebula, Amon Duul, Hawkwind, Silver Apples and many others...

FARFLUNG's last full-length "A Wound In Eternity" came out in 2008, after what the five-piece put out a serie of quality split records with White Hills (2012), Black Rainbows (2013) and California's brothers-in-sound Fatso Jetson (2015). This year will see the return of one of the most substantial songwriting teams in today's rock world, with the release of upcoming new album "5" on European rock powerhouse Heavy Psych Sounds.

This new album "5" will feature guest appearances by the likes of Nik Turner (Hawkwind), David Catching (QOTSA, EODM) and Gene Trautmann (QOTSA, EODM). It was recorded at Saturn Moon Studio, Tarantula Ranch and Rancho de la Luna, conferring upon the record a recognizable desert sound.

FARFLUNG IS
Tommy Grenas - Lead vocals, oscillators, synths and guitar
Michael Esther - Guitar, synths and vocals
Paul Hischier - Guitar
Abby Travis  - Bass, vocals and keys
Chris Nakata  - Drums, guitar, bass and vocals

EARTHLESS + HARSH TOKE: Split EP Streaming in Full via Stereogum

Heavy Psych Kings to Release Titanic Team-Up May 27!


   Sound-sculpting San Diego heavy psych titans EARTHLESS and HARSH TOKE have joined forces to bring music fans a colossal battle of the beasts! Titled Acid Crusher / Mount Swan, the two track, 35-minute release will see a May 27 release via Tee Pee Records. In advance of the record's release, Stereogum is streaming the split EP in full. Hear the mind-expanding sounds from the Cali kings now, at this location.

   Prepare yourself, as 20,000 volts of concentrated electricity rip through your speakers while the psychedelic rock 'n' roll flows like molten magma, destroying everything in its path! EARTHLESS brings to life the towering, 15-minute-long song "Acid Crusher", which collides head-on with HARSH TOKE's 20-minute creation, "Mount Swan". Don't miss this winner-take-all mashup of two of modern psych's most monstrous mongrels!

   "Acid Crusher" will tide over EARTHLESS fans until the release of the band's as-yet-untitled new LP, it's first since 2013's epic From the Ages, which was hailed as an "intuitive musical monolith" by SPIN. Fresh off of a sold out east coast headlining tour, EARTHLESS now dives back into writing for their fourth full-length, which is expected to drop later this year. Formed in 2001 by drummer Mario Rubalcaba, guitarist Isaiah Mitchell and bassist Mike Eginton, EARTHLESS creates energetic, free-thinking instrumental music inspired by an eclectic mix of German krautrock and Japanese heavy blues rock.

   "Mount Swan" represents the first new music from HARSH TOKE since the release of the acid rock band's 2014 debut, Light Up and Live, which was praised for its "relentless creativity" by Popmatters and called "an exuberant gangbang of notes awash in wah" by Magnet. Equal parts atmospheric and anarchic, HARSH TOKE merges raging, blind fury musicianship with unprecedented white-knuckle volume abuse.

   Track listing:

   1.) Acid Crusher (EARTHLESS)
   2.) Mount Swan (HARSH TOKE)


   "Despite the menacing title, “Acid Crusher” showcases Earthless at their most restrained and minimalistic. It’s basically one big 15-minute vamp, krautrockish in its repetitive restraint. Watery organs and bassist Mike Eginton’s patient thrum carry most of the song, but Mitchell blows the roof off with some truly Hendrix-esque wah abuse before it can wind down. Harsh Toke mine roughly the same vein of resiny ore as Earthless, but deliver a denser final product — their 20-minute jam “Mount Swan” leans heavily on tumbling-down-the-mountain riffs and features a warbling vocal that occasionally fights through the layers of instrumental haze." - STEREOGUM

   "Earthless don't leave room for misinterpretation or error concerning their mission: They are a long-winded guitar trio, hell-bent on riding six electric strings directly out of this atmosphere." - PITCHFORK

"Harsh Toke is a band that is meant to be heard in hoards...It is only a matter of time before they should become legends" - MXDWN

Mos Generator/Stubb – The Theory of Light and Matter

I have really been digging split releases lately. I don't know if it's because there are just a lot of good ones out there, or because several bands I really like have been putting out their fair share, but it seems like a good time to love splits. I've been listening to this one probably more than any others lately, so it's high time I told you about it.

Mos Generator have been killing it with the splits they have been part of. I don't want to give myself too much credit, but in listening to the tunes they contribute to these releases in comparison to what they put out on their own full length releases, I've felt like there has been something a little different going on with their music. Lo and behold, in the liner notes to this release, main man Tony Reed says this:”...this LP continues to explore a different and more honest side of my songwriting and is a glimpse into future directions that the band might take...”. It's cool when you can notice changes in music from a band you really like, and then find out it's really true and not just the drugs talking again.

The three songs here from Mos Generator are all gems. “As Above So Below” manages that great balance of being catchy and heavy and is a great rock song. “Catspaw” has a great, twisty, turny riff and rhythm and there's something about this song that feels introspective and contemplative even when it's rocking out. The final song, “There's No Return From Nowhere” starts off sounding like it could be a lost track from Led Zeppelin III with some beautiful acoustic playing, and then this monster riff just crashes in and takes the song in a completely different direction. Nice little change of pace, that, and another great set of songs from Mos Generator.

I don't mean to short change the boys from Stubb at all, because their 3 songs are equally stunning. These guys are fantastic at taking a riff or rhythm pattern and just building and building upon it, taking it in every direction and giving us, the listeners, some very tasty jams. That is certainly the case with their opener, “Priestess of the Moon”. The second track, “The Wingmakers”, is an instrumental and for me is just a really moving track. Like, I literally get into this song so much that I worry I might forget to breathe. I really dig this one. Their final track is “Witch's Kiss”, another that just builds up to awesomeness. The tone and atmosphere of this song reminds of Black Sabbath's first album, in that it has a bluesy feel to it, yet you also feel that at any moment the song is going to turn the blues inside out and go for a psychedelic ride.

All in all, I have to say a huge thank you to these bands and HeviSike for putting this out. With a release called “The Theory of Light and Matter”, you expect things that make you think, and all the songs from both of these bands really do that. Here's to more split releases and if they can all be like this one, I may never go back to full albums by one band again.

- ODIN

Diamond Head - S/T

2016 Dissonance

DIAMOND HEAD are guitarist Brian Tatler, vocalist Rasmus Bom Andersen, drummer Karl Wilcox, bassist Eddie Moohan, and guitarist Abbz.

Diamond Head are back! The new, self titled album is their first first full length release of new music since 2007's “What's In Your Head” and their first record with Danish singer Rasmus Bom Andersen.

The album blasts out with “Bones” with a signature Brian Tatler riff and the mid song tempo changes we've come to expect and love from Diamond Head.

“Shout At The Devil” thankfully has nothing to do with any hair bands from Los Angeles and features a rumbling bass line from Eddie Moohan. 

The pace slows down a bit with “Set My Soul On Fire” and we get to hear Ras's voice really shine. Of course, being DH the tempo shifts at the guitar solo where Tatler and  Andy 'Abbz' Abberley burn up the fret-boards

“See You Rise” kicks off with a nice drum pattern by Karl Wilcox  and another killer riff by Maestro Tatler. 

“All The Reasons You Live” begins with a nice acoustic intro (hankering back to the bands NWOBHM days) before becoming a good mid paced song with a keyboard laden chorus. 

OK, being a demure, innocent lady I'm not going to explain what “Wizard Sleeve” is slang for!  But with lyrics like “can I come inside your wizard sleeve” - it's pretty self explanatory!  This is a fun song and shows the band doesn't feel they have to be all serious all the time! Killer solo by Brian too!

“Our Time is Now” - nice interplay between the rhythm section of Moohan and Wilcox.  I can just picture Diamond Head playing a huge outdoor festival somewhere in Europe and the whole crowd chanting “Call to arms strengthen the legions! Dismantle the walls for the sake of the children!!” Nice touch throwing in a few seconds of the iconic “Am I Evil” riff at the end!

“Speed” next .  I really love the dual guitar leads.  This song so reminds me of “Helpless” but with a 2016 spin.  I can just picture Ras's throat bleeding at the end of the track when he belts out “I need Speed”. Love it!

“Blood On My Hands” another slightly slower track with a great riff that's already stuck in my head.

“Diamonds” is another strong track – actually there are no weak tracks on the album. 

The final track is “Silence” and closes the album in epic fashion.  Arabic style guitar swells, acoustic passages, lyrics about “recall the days where you dug children's graves and regret”. 

All in all a very solid “comeback” release from Diamond Head who with a few nods to their legendary past, have their feet firmly in 2016.  Looking forward to seeing them tour the states this fall!!

Thanks to Paula Hogan and Brian Tatler for all their help.  

-Rys

Slow Season premiere first single from forthcoming album via Consequence of Sound, announce May-June tour

Central California quartet Slow Season premiere the first track from their forthcoming new album, Westing today via Consequence of Sound. The explosive single, "Y'Wanna" is available to hear and share HERE. (Direct Soundcloud). 

Slow Season hits the road yet again in May - June leading up to the album release. Please see current dates below. 

Contrary to the band's name, downtime is a rarity for Slow Season. Sandwiched between summer 2015's extensive tour with their RidingEasy labelmates Mondo Drag and Electric Citizen, plus several short west coast jaunts, the hard-working quartet also found time to hammer out its most powerful and ambitious album yet. Written, engineered, produced and mixed themselves on their own equipment, entirely on analog tape, Westing is a hard-hitting and powerful reminder of how at one time a rock 'n' roll band could be a transcendent experience.

While Slow Season's sound continues to effortlessly nod to the great bands of the 60s-70s, Westing is truly the sound of a band coming into their own. The songwriting is tight, howling and hypnotic. The sound is classic, yet refreshingly new. 

"It's a different album," says drummer and primary recording engineer Cody Tarbell. "But we never have wanted to find a particular sound or any one thing and be attached to it permanently. A big part of our records is experimenting." The Visalia, CA band -- Daniel Rice (vocals, guitar), David Kent (guitar), Hayden Doyel (bass), and Cody Tarbell (drums) --  has recorded all of their albums on reel-to-reel at Tarbell's home studio in a cornfield. This affords them the time to experiment getting sounds, while maintaining focus on the most important notion that performance is key. As with previous albums, recording was pretty immediate, tracked between January 15th and the beginning of February 2016 to 16-track tape and mixed to 2-track tape. 

Equally as ambitious as the band's self-sufficient production is the sprawling lyrical theme to the album.  Thematically picking up where the Slow Season's previous full length Mountains left off, Westing tackles some heady issues.

"Westing follows a loose narrative about our nation's loss of innocence as it explores its frontiers," vocalist Daniel Rice explains. "Re-contextualized in a story about an unnamed protagonist faced with choosing between different ideological allegiances and his own social identity." From song to song, the album follows what Rice explains as, "the unholy trinity of greed+power+violence, the injustice wrought from this, persisting in willful ignorance, and reaping what is sown." A deep conceptual arc, for sure, and one that adds further weight to the Slow Season's intensity. 

Album opener "Y'Wanna" erupts from the speakers as if the band couldn't even wait for the tape to start recording. it's a full-throttle rocker reminiscent of Zep's "Immigrant Song" with sly reference to "Four Sticks", all groove and pummel. "Flag" keeps things rolling along with its bouncing, stop-n-go guitar riff. The 6/8-time blues sway of "The Jackal" echoes early Sabbath malefic boogie, while "Saurekonig" is a cavernous and volcanic mass driven by huge drums, ringing slide guitar and ominous drone. "Damascus" is a rollicking anthem driven by Tarbell's syncopated hi-hat/snare interplay and Rice's explosive wail proving just how much of a dynamic powerhouse Slow Season has become. Throughout, Westing is a smart and snarling rocker that sounds like rock 'n' roll records should: massive, infectious and inviting repeat listens.

Westing will be available on LP, CD and download via RidingEasy Records on July 8th, 2016. Pre-orders include a free immediate download of the first single and are available HERE. 

SLOW SEASON LIVE:

05/18 Santa Cruz, CA @ Blue Lagoon

05/19 San Francisco, CA @ Thee Parkside

05/20 Oakland, CA @ The Golden Bull Bar

05/21 Grants Pass, OR @ G Street Bar & Grill

05/24 Portland, OR @ The Liquor Store Bar

05/25 Seattle, WA @ Funhouse

05/27 Boise, ID @ The Shredder

05/28 Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge

05/29 Denver, CO @ Hi-Dive

05/30 Omaha, NE @ Reverb Lounge

05/31 Chicago, IL @ Double Door

06/01 Indianapolis, IN @ Bent Rail Brewing

06/02 Kent, OH @ Stone Tavern

06/03 Pittsburgh, PA @ Gooski's

06/04 Rochester, NY @ Bug Jar

06/06 Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie

06/07 Columbus, OH @ Rumba Cafe

06/08 Cincinnati, OH @ Northside Yacht Club

06/09 Nashville, TN @ FooBAR

06/10 Memphis, TN @ Hi Tone *

06/11 New Orleans, LA @ Siberia *

06/12 Hattiesburg, MS @ The Tavern *

06/13 Shreveport, LA @ Bears *

06/14 Texarkana, TX @ Arrow Bar *

06/16 Oklahoma City, OK @ Blue Note *

06/17 Denton, TX @ Rubber Gloves 

06/18 Austin, TX @ Hotel Vegas

06/19 San Antonio, TX @ The Mix

06/22 Tempe, AZ @ Yucca Taproom

06/23 San Diego, CA @ The Merrow

*w/ Dirty Streets

 

On The Web:

slowseasonmusic.com

facebook.com/slowseasonmusic

www.ridingeasyrecords.com

 

Roadburn Festival: The Aftermath. 2017 festival dates announced

Another edition of Roadburn Festival is in the books - and what an incredible one it was!

Roadburn would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to all the artists, crew, production team, volunteers, staff, and of course every single attendee who spent the weekend with us. We never take the support and appreciation for granted and are sincerely grateful to every individual that helps to make Roadburn what it is.

The festival played host to incredible sets including:
Neurosis - celebrating their thirtieth anniversary by playing two special, career spanning sets
Converge - playing two sets; one with their expanded Blood Moon line up including Chelsea Wolfe, Stephen Brodsky, Ben Chisholm, and Steve Von Till; and one never-to-be-repeated Jane Doe in full.
Paradise Lost - performing Gothic in its entirety
Diamanda Galás - a rare and unique performance, plus a screening of Schrei 27 and live interview session
With The Dead - as well as being our 2016 curator, Lee Dorrian also performed with his own band for the first time outside the UK
G.I.S.M - this legendary band played for the first time in 14 years, and for the first time ever outside of Japan
Cult of Luna - opening the festival, playing Somewhere Along The Highway in full, to a packed out main stage
Misþyrming - Roadburn's Artist in Residence, these young Icelandic black metal torchbearers played three times over the weekend.

Among these bigger names were many more special moments and incredible collaborations. This year, musicians from Finland made their presence felt with incredible sets from Hexvessel, Dark Buddha Rising, Oranssi Pazuzu, Arktau Eos, Abyssion and Atomikylä. Roadburn continues to push the bar ever higher, always aiming to create something unique, artistic and always very special.

The full list of artists that performed at Roadburn 2016 is as follows:

Abysmal Grief, Abyssion, Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell, Alkerdeel ft. Gnaw Their Tongues, Amenra, Arktau Eos, Astrosoniq, Atomikylä, Bang, Beastmaker, Behold! The Monolith, Black Moon Circle (ft. Dr. Space), Black Mountain, Bliksem, Blind Idiot God, Blood Ceremony, Der Blutharsch and the Infinite Church of the Leading Hand, Brothers of the Sonic Cloth, Buried at Sea, Carousel, Chaos Echoes, CHRCH, CHVE, Cocaine Piss, Concatenatus, Converge, Crumbling Ghost, Cult of Luna (Somewhere Along The Highway in its entirety), Cult of Occult, Daniel Payne, Dark Buddha Rising, Dead Neanderthals, Dead To A Dying World, Death Alley (& Friends), Diamanda Galás, DOOL, Ecstatic Vision, Epitaph (Ita), Full of Hell, Galley Beggar, Gentlemans Pistols, G.I.S.M., Gomer Pyle, Grafir, Green Carnation, Grimmsons, Hair of the Dog, Hangman’s Chair, Hell (USA), Hemelbestormer, Herder, Hexvessel, Hills, Inverloch, Jakob, John Haughm, Jucifer, Kenn Nardi (of Anacrusis), Klone, Kontinuum, La Muerte, Lugubrum Trio, Lychgate, Mantra Machine, Mirrors For Psychic Warfare (Scott Kelly & Sanford Parker), Misþyrming (Artist in Residence), Moloken, Mondo Drag, MPH (Formerly known as Mr. Peter Hayden), Naðra, Neurosis, New Keepers of the Water Towers, Nibiru, NYIÞ, Night Viper, Noctum, Obese, Of The Wand And The Moon, Oranssi Pazuzu, Paradise Lost (Gothic in its entirety), Partisan, Pentagram, Peter Pan Speedrock, The Progerians, Repulsion, Russell Haswell, Scott Kelly, Sinistro, Skepticism (Fan-picked set list), Steve Von Till, Syndrome, Tau Cross, Terzij de Horde, The Poisoned Glass (ft. G. Stuart Dahlquist and Edgy 59 of Burning Witch), The Body, The Skull, Usnea, The Vintage Caravan, We’rewolves, Witch Trail, With The Dead, VVOVNDS, Yodok III.


Alongside the acts that performed, we also had a side programme featuring listening sessions of new albums from Nothing, Alkerdeel, and Virus, live interviews with Neurosis, Converge, Paradise Lost and Cult of Luna, panel discussions, talks and much more. Roadburn's 2016 poster artist, Becky Cloonan curated an exhibition of artwork throughout the 013 venue.

We welcomed more visitors than ever to Roadburn this year; approximately 4,300 attendees each day descended on the 013 venue and it's surroundings to celebrate all things psychedelic, heavy, and obscure! The Roadburn family continues to spread all over the world with people joining us from as far afield as Australia Brazil, Mexico, Hong Kong, Afghanistan, and India - as well as our friends from all over Europe.

 

Breakdown of foreign visitors to Roadburn 2016

Roadburn 2017 will take place at the 013 venue, between April 20-23, 2017. Announcements for the 2017 edition will start in the coming months.

Animal Noise - Sink Or Swim EP

Well hello beautiful!  Those were the exact words that passed through my mind the first time I listened to Animal Noise.  I cannot recall if I actually heard an audible click inside the combination lock that is my brain but regardless, my mental vault doors have been opened and this band's music has rapidly taken up residence.  Honestly, considering how I feel about the songs on the Sink Or Swim EP, I don't foresee eviction notices ever being posted requiring their removal.

Now how can I best describe the wonderful sound collage Animal Noise creates?  Let's start with the instrumentation.  This trio is comprised of acoustic guitar, bass guitar, and drums.  Nothing out of the ordinary, but the music produced is exceptional.  Elements of folk music, progressive rock, punk, and psychedelic rock interact perfectly with each other to form a unique sonic signature I find captivating!  And that's saying nothing of the vocals.  Goodness gracious the vocals!  They're rife with passion and conviction and the harmonies are superb.

The four tracks that make up the SOS EP are uniformly strong and memorable.  One key feature they all share is that each song begins relatively quietly.  The band adds layers of musical gusto on top of the muted foundations until each song positively crackles with energy.  Even the pseudo-ballad "Alright" qualifies as a high-voltage generator once it fully develops!  Picking a favorite is impossible.  Not borderline impossible.  Straight up, hung jury, case dismissed impossible.

Waveriders if you are looking for some incredible new tunes that will go a long way towards making your day extraordinary the Sink Or Swim EP from Animal Noise is your golden ticket!  There are two ways to obtain this brilliant item.  The EP is available digitally from a variety of different sources, but it was also released on Record Store Day 2016 as a limited edition 7" vinyl.  Physical copies can be purchased directly from the band's website. 

However you go about obtaining this EP make sure to share your discovery with others.  Remember friends, sharing is caring!

-Penfold

JESUS CHRÜSLER SUPERCAR confirmed to support Clutch on tour in Europe this summer!

The infernal Swedish Death n Roll machine JESUS CHRÜSLER SUPERCAR confirmed to support Clutch on tour in Europe this summer!

JESUS CHRÜSLER SUPERCARs new album 35 Supersonic was recently released through Rodeostar Records and the three guys from Stockholm clearly leaved their traces on the asphalt on their tour through Germany and the Netherlands together with Spiritual Beggars and Warrior Soul in March. This summer their journey through Germany continues, when they will bring their snotty Death n Roll to festivals like Wacken Open Air or Dong Open Air. Right after W:O:A their tour through Europe with Stoner Rock sensation Clutch will kick off. Those who want to experience their massive and forceful sound consisting of down-tuned guitars, powerful rumply and of course the striking vocals of frontier Robban Bergeskans live, should definitely check out at least one of the shows of the Psychic Warfare World Tour:
15.07.2016 DE-Neukirchen-Vluyn, Dong Open Air
04.-06.08.2016 DE-Wacken, Wacken Open Air
07.08.2016 DE-Bremen, Modernes
09.08.2016 SWE-Malmö, Kulturbolaget
10.08.2016 FIN-Helsinki, Circus
16.08.2016 DE-Bochum, Zeche
17.08.2016 LUX-Luxembourg, Den Atelier

If you want to follow the Swedish supercar on its journey over the local graveyards order 35 Supersonic here: EMP | Amazon | MetalMailorder.com | Flight13.com | Media Markt | Saturn | JPC | Weltbild | Exlibris.ch | PlasticHead.com | SeasonOfMist.com | EMP-Shop.se | Ginza.se | CDON.com | HardMusic.cz | iTunes | Amazon MP3 | Spotify | Google Play | Deezer | Tidal

Dont forget to watch the music video for the current single From Hell as a special treat. For the stroll through Stockholm of the harder kind featuring illustrious metal giants like 35 Supersonic producer Tomas Skogsberg and The Hellacopters bass player Kenny Håkansson go this way: https://youtu.be/1g3sKkhR7y0

Have a nice ride on the Death n Roll Supercars back seat and get more information about the Scandinavians on JESUS CHRÜSLER SUPERCARs band profile as well as on www.jesuschruslersupercar.com or www.facebook.com/jesuschruslersupercar.