It’s been a
busy couple of weeks for me at work and this time of year in general is
overwhelming at times. Bandcamp comes in handy for these situations, or it just
makes them more overwhelming because a new variable is thrown into the mix
being which albums am I going to listen to next, which ones are worthy of a
vinyl purchase, and which child has to go without dinner tonight due to blown
music budget and no money left. It’s okay, the following riffs are quite
filling to quench your craving for pleasure.
Namazu – Works Cited
I’m really
impressed with this new album by Namazu and its hard hitting, yet pop oriented
groove going on. It’s really quite off the beaten path of what has been making
headlines lately. I’ve listened to Works Cited more than average lately.
Oh man,
such a refreshing listen in the world we live in nestled deep in the heavy
underground. Combining the best aspects of sludgy hardcore and punk with a
groove oriented rock n roll backbone, Namazu have cited a superior work of
heavy music avoiding cliché trends and overused riff worship. Like they said,
FFO Red Fang, Big Business, Torche, Coliseum....
Monarchus – Monarchus
This one is
still buried in my growing wishlist. I’ve worn the free listens out on my mobile
app, I keep scrolling across it when navigating my wishlist for next album to
hear and there is something about it that keeps calling my name. Maybe it’s the
multi-vocalists; maybe it’s the deep and sultry distortion, groove, or perhaps
the dirty blues-based riffs. I don’t know, but I do know it’s pretty killer.
Cardinals Folly – Deranged Pagan Sons
I’ve been a
fan of Cardinals Folly for quite some time. With that said, I haven’t listened
to them since their last album Our Cult
Continues was making waves back in 2014. When I finally got around to
giving Deranged Pagan Sons a good listen I remembered why I had fell for them a
few years back. This is top grade doom. This is the kind of doom that keeps you
on the edge of your seat and blows your mind with its intricate dynamics and
powerful riffs.
Mountainwolf – Absinthe Moon
Absinthe
Moon follows up the critically acclaimed debut The Silk Road in pure style. I
was a huge fan of the Silk Road, enough to buy the digital first, and then rebuy when it came out on vinyl. Now I’m left with
no money to order the new one Absinthe Moon. If they were side by side in the
record shop and I could only pick one I would have to go with Absinthe Moon.
Not because I already have The Silk Road, but because I think it’s a big step
up from the debut, which I loved.
Motherslug – The Electric Dunes of Titan
These guys
are doing it right. The pre-order is available and they’re actually
incentivizing the pre-order by making it available for a discounted price. Half
off to be precise. I’ve been saying this for years about the bandcamp
pre-order. If you’re going to put the digital album up for pre-order you must
give the supporter some kind of bonus for going out on a limb to support.
Discounted price is probably the easiest option. So instead of the normal price
of $6.66 you can snag the entire album which will be available to download the
moment it’s released with a couple tracks now. Fortunately I received a
promotional copy of the entire album and about lost my shit while I had my
beats headphones bumping down the dog walking trail the other day. The Electric
Dunes of Titan are well worth your time and don’t hesitate on that special
pre-order pricing on bandcamp. You won’t be sorry when the melodic savagery
overcomes your desire to head bang with a slow and heavy groove.
Black Road – Black Road EP
The moment
we’ve all been waiting for has arrived. Chicago heavy blues rockers Black Road
have just released their debut self-titled EP and it’s a barn burner. Equal
parts slow and doomy atmosphere soaked in a sultry blues. The front man Suzi
Uzi demonstrates her powerful croons and red hot swagger on 5-tracks of molten
doomy blues. The album is being released by DHU Records on CD/vinyl, and I
believe on Cassette Tape via another distro and you’ll be able to get copies
from the band. Keep your eyes out for
these guys as they are a fresh entry into the heavy underground heavyweights.
Black
Road leads us through a smoke-filled wasteland of riff crusted doom and fuzz
tracked heavy blues. Suzi Uzi takes center stage with a red hot output of
sultry croonage backed by throbbing bass, layers of guitar mystic and the hard
rock polished production by none other than Tony Reed.
-The
Huntsman
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