BURN RITUAL ~ HOUSE OF THE WICKED .... review

The recent rise of AI generated music has unfortunately thrown an element of shade over the work of the humble one-man project, with some people becoming a little suspicious of anything being released that does not bear band photos, bio's or concert footage. Desert Psychlist can however allay your fears by telling you that Burn Ritual, the brainchild of muti-instrumentalist Jake W Lewis, is not the offspring of an AI computer programme but a well put together one-man project with the man himself playing all the instrumentation, the only programmes used being those to needed splice all the different parts together in a recognisable musical form. That out of the way let's now inform you that Burn Ritual (Jake) has a new release out, a collection of Sabbathian influence grooviosity going by the title "House Of The Wicked", four songs of horror/occult inspired grooviness, spliced with occasional sampled narrative, the perfect soundtrack for the shorter days and longer nights of the winter season.

When Desert Psychlist reviewed Burn Ritual's previous release "Grave Watcher" we remarked that there was an early Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats vibe to a couple of the albums songs and if anything that vibe is even more pronounced on "House Of The Wicked". Opening song "Night Demon" has, when you get past the songs narrated intro sample, that same lilting melody over crunching heaviness thing going on that Uncle Acid made their own before going down the avant-garde/experimental rabbit hole, the only difference being that Jake approaches the songs groove here from a much more proto-metallic/doom angle. Follow up "Look What We've Done", sees Jake crunching out circular guitar and bass riffs over  steady solid rhythm patterns and embellishing those riffs with short sharp but tasteful solos, layering over the results a double tracked clean vocal melody that is pure candy for the ears. Things get a little traditionally doomic and bluesy for next song "Your Wicked Mind" Jake opting for a less is more policy by allowing his guitar tones to reverberate and sustain just that little longer to add extra atmosphere to the proceedings, Jake twinning those tones with low level flying bass motifs, swirling solos and keyboard effects to ramp up the songs impact, and let us not forget those vocals which are a blend of sneery malevolence and menace-lite haziness. It's all aboard the hazy crazy train for last song "Of Beast And Man" a delicious slice of psychedelic doominosity  that initially has Jake's heavily filtered vocals coming at you from all angles over a low slow stoner doom groove but then goes up a gear to finish on a wave of dank, and totally unexpected, boogie-woogie.

Let us take a moment to remember that their are still talented musicians out there making real music; not just with fellow musicians but also on their own in studios, in bedrooms, and in one extreme case a car. The contributions these lone musicians, hunched over their PC's, laptops etc. trying to put all the pieces together, make to our scene should not be underestimated. While their are people out like Jake W Lewis releasing music as good as that which can be found on "House Of The Wicked" then their is still hope for real music.

Check it out ....   

© 2024 Frazer Jones

GRAND MAGUS ~ SUNRAVEN ... review

Sweden's Grand Magus have been dubbed both doom and stoner metal in the past and while their music does touch on aspects of both those genres at their root Grand Magus are essentially a heavy metal band with a sound that is at times probably closer to Di'Anno (RIP) era Iron Maiden or Saxon than it is to say Black Sabbath or Orange Goblin. Throughout their tenure as a band Grand Magus have stuck rigidly to lyrical themes that revolve around Scandinavian folklore, Viking mythology and the human condition, the band backing those themes with music that although possesses an "old school" vibe does not sound dated or a reflection of another time. The band have been around, as Grand Magus, since 1999 and in that time have accrued an impressive discography that is a mix of full length albums and splits, the most notable being the bands self titled debut release "Grand Magus" and the internationally acclaimed "Hammer of the North", though in truth you would be hard pushed to find a release from the band that is not notable. The bands current line up of Matts "Fox" Skinner (bass/backing vocals); Ludwig Witt (drums) and JB Christoffersson (guitar/vocals) have just released "Sunraven" (Nuclear Blast), the bands tenth studio album and one worthy of its place in their hugely impressive catalogue.

Opening track "Skybound" starts with Christofferson quickly sliding up the guitar fretboard then crunching down on a chugging metal refrain pushed by Skinner's low growly bass and Witt's punchy drumming, basically everything we have come to expect from a Grand Magus song, heavy yet at the same time catchy and boasting clear powerful, yet not overly so, vocals. Next song "The Wheel Of Pain" begins life stuttering and jerky then evolves into a groove that is a blend of torch-like dynamics and throbbing anthemic metal with Christofferson's vocal taking on equally anthemic tones. Title track "Sunraven" does carry an air of proto-doominosity in its gait but it is a doominosity twinned with the sort of galloping dynamics that were more a feature of  the early days of NWOBHM. "Winter Song" on the other hand is Grand Magus at probably their most doomic, dankness and darkness features heavily here especially in Christofferson's vocals which are pitched mostly in the singers middle register but then move to a more gravelled grittiness in the songs more intense moments. "Black Lake" begins with fractured chord textures over which Christofferson croons in deep gravid tones before the hammer goes down and he is joined by Skinner and Witt in an atmospheric metal groove enhanced with a series of recurring hooks and  motifs as well as some highly tasteful lead guitar work, the song only returning to its fractured beginnings in its final moments. The following "Hour of the Wolf" is a chugging riff monster that has all the hallmarks needed to become a staple in the bands live shows while "Grendel" finds the band blending their heavy metal with an element of stoner metal swagger to create a sound that would not have sounded out of place on one of those Spiritual Beggars albums Christoffersson once featured on. Grand Magus really get their heavy metal groove on with "To Heorot", with Celtic flavoured guitar motifs and neo-classical shredding driven hard by Skinner and Witt's thunderous bass and drum groove. Lastly we come to final track "The End Belongs To You" a song that apart from containing a great vocal, superbly emotive lead work and deliciously low growly bass lines also features some highly impressive drumming from Witt.

With nine well loved albums already to their name to their name and a reputation for being a superb live act you might expect Grand Magus to maybe stop pushing themselves so hard and put out an album that ticks all the right boxes for their fans but does not really push any new boundaries. Fortunately Grand Magus are not the type of  band who like to sit on their laurels, something they have proved with their tenth album "Sunraven", yes they do work within a formula but it is a formula open to including new ideas and new approaches.

Check it out ...  

© 2024 Frazer Jones

BIG GAME HUNTER ~ TALES ....review

 

Danish quartet Big Game Hunter, current line up: Kalle E. Huusom (guitars/lead vocals); Mads Yde (guitars/vocals); Bastian Reinholdt Madsen (bass/vocals) and Jonas Virring (drums/vocals), have to date been teasing their audiences with a series of one off single and double track releases, this month however the band have gone one better by releasing "Tales" a THREE song EP so good we thought it deserved getting the full Desert Psychlist treatment.

# bassist at the time of this this recording was Hjalte Buch, who also contributed to the song writing

If you, like us, have a soft spot for stoner, doom and heavy psych that draws on 70's hard rock and blues while still retaining its grip on the here and now sounds of today's underground rock scene then the following three tracks are going to be so far up your street they'll be knocking on your door asking to come in. Opening number "Beast On Show" for example draws not only from the proto-doomic pool that birthed the likes of Black Sabbath, Pentagram and Saint Vitus but also from the more blues and psych orientated proto-metal that for a time ran beside it and that gave us bands as May Blitz, Atomic Rooster and Sir Lord Baltimore. We are of course talking big riffs, chunky rhythms, soaring bluesy solos and strong cleanly sung vocal melodies here but at the same time we are also getting the fuzziness and distortion that places this song firmly in the canon of modern day stoner and metal.  Second song "Psychedelic Sorcerer" is a devil horns throwing, nod inducing proto-metallic/heavy rock chug fest in possession of ear-pleasingly sing along vocal melodies and catchy guitar motifs that once they have  their hooks into you are hard to shake off, not that you would ever want to. For the EP's last song "The Night", Big Game Hunter play their atmospheric card with a song boasting fractured chord voicing and shimmering arpeggios ringing out majestically over subtle and restrained percussion and a grizzled deep bass motif the songs groove slowly building up in intensity until finally exploding into a doom and blues tinted stoner/heavy psych romp accompanied by powerful, soulfully angsty vocals, it's impressive stuff!

The great American entrepreneur/politician/showman P.T.Barnum lived his life by the mantra "always leave them wanting more" and that could well be the thinking behind Big Game Hunter's penchant for releasing their music in small bite -size portions. Whatever the bands reasoning there can be no doubting that after listening to the three songs that make up "Tales" there WILL be many hankering to hear more, and who knows maybe next time Big Game Hunter may even give us FOUR songs! 

Check 'em out.....

© 2024 Frazer Jones

INCHE KAI CHE ~ TRANSMUTACIÓN ....review

If you are a regular reader of these pages then you will already know that we at Desert Psychlist have a high regard for the underground rock music emanating from the continents of South and Central America, however if we had to pick one country from those two continents that has consistently delivered the music our riff battered ears demands and has excited us the most then it has got to be Chile. For a country whose government once prohibited all forms of rock music (1973-1990) the growth of the Chilean underground scene over the last ten to fifteen years has been nothing short of phenomenal. One of those band who have taken full advantage of this, still relatively new, artistic freedom and has impressed us the most are Curico combo Inche Kai Che, the bands self-titled debut, "Inche Kai Che", not only blowing Desert Psychlist's mind but also the minds of some of the scenes top reviewers, podcasters and influencers, the album going on to grab a very respectable and well deserved  #8 spot on April 2022's monthly Doom Charts. This year the band, Vito (guitar/vocals); Jony (drums/backing vocals) and Diego (bass), return with a new album, "Transmutaci​ó​n", get ready for to have your minds blown once again!

Title track "Transmutaci​ó​n" kicks things off by opening its account with a low bouncy, bass motif accompanied by steady tight drumming and some effect laden weirdness before the guitar comes in and the band fall into a fuzzy circular stoner groove with echo tinted vocals (Spanish) wailing over the top. So far so good but then we reach the songs middle section and  things get really interesting with the band launching into a passage of lysergic ambience and hazy serenity that would give some of the bigger hitters in this field a run for their money, liquid guitar textures and shimmering arpeggios underscored by an undulating and spacious bass and drum groove, the band only returning to a heavy dynamic in the songs dying stages. Next comes the uber stonerish "Caer es Volar" a deliciously dynamic full on hard rocker decorated in strong vocals and boasting chunky crunchy guitar textures driven by four to the floor rhythms. Now if this was how the song progressed to its conclusion you would not be unhappy, in fact you would probably be applauding but that is not how Inche Kai Che do things and so we are treated to another of those trippy. dippy and utterly gorgeous lysergic middle sections, this one even better than the last. There is a hint of doominosity to next song "Ancestral" that is neither proto or traditional flavoured, if  you were forced to  describe it as anything then you would probably opt for hazy otherworldly blues doom, whatever you decide to call it there is no getting away from how damn good a tune this is! Its back to chunky guitar riffage for the instrumental "El Retumbar" only this time that riffage is by joined by rolling bass refrains and punchy on point percussion, probably the best thing about this song is the chances it gives each member to take their moment in the spotlight, chances they do not squander, probably the worst part of this song is that it has to come to an end. Penultimate track "Destino" boasts a catchy easy on the ear melody set against a jerky hard driven bluesy hard rock groove, a groove  that serves as the perfect vehicle for the soaring and equally bluesy guitar solos' that decorate it. All good things must come to an end eventually and Inch Kai Che close their good thing with "Sagan" a sprawling and atmospheric opus that just seems to get better and better the longer it is playing, the song trading moments of liquid like serenity with moments of spiralling intensity to create a sound embodying much the same feelings of vastness and spaciousness that the great Pink Floyd once achieved with their song "Echoes", and if you think that last statement is a bit over the top then go back and listen again, this song is really that good.

If Inche Kai Che's "Transmutaci​ó​n" was a jewel it would be a radiant cut diamond, bright and shining with many facets, if it were a food it would be Ambrosia, divine and spiritually uplifting. It is however merely a collection of songs on an album....but what a magnificent collection of songs and what a stunning album it is.

Check it out ....

© 2024 Frazer Jones

ODA ~ BLOODSTAINED ..... review

Desert Psychlist has to admit to knowing nothing whatsoever about French psych/doom outfit 𝖔𝖉𝖆 as we only recently become aware of their existence via a recommendation from fellow Doom Charts contributor Kyle SB, but after hearing their highly impressive debut album "Bloodstained" we are keen to learn more, as we think you will be too.

Although the band describe themselves as a psych-doom trio there can also be found within their music elements and textures of both drone and post metal, as well some we will talk about later, and this is something that becomes particular evident right from the off with opening number "Children Of The Night", a song that does not follow any of the usual rules associated with doom and psych. Granted it does have crunchy reverberating guitar refrains, a bottom dwelling bass sound and thunderous drumming but what surrounds that instrumentation is quite un-doom like clean vocal ethereality and an undercurrent of spacious droning swirliness. "Zombi", the following track, is just as delightfully confusing as its predecessor, the guitar and bass tones are most definitely doomic in flavour, as is the pounding percussion, but this is a skewered sort of doom we are hearing here, a dark and seductive form of the genre that draws as much from late 70's UK goth as it does from present day doom. Third song "Inquisitor" finds 𝖔𝖉𝖆 ramping up the atmospherics with slightly more aggressive and somewhat bluesy dynamics supporting an equally more aggressive vocal while "Rabid Hole" starts its life eerie and gothic but slowly builds, layer by layer, into a dark and atmospheric torch song decorated with a suitably matching vocal dynamic. For their penultimate track 𝖔𝖉𝖆 go all in on the doom, no toying with elements of post-metal, goth or psych here just thunderous rhythms, searing solos and whole lot of dank, dark riffage. Closing song "Mourning Star" sees 𝖔𝖉𝖆 putting all their musical eggs in one basket by subtlety weaving all the elements they've toyed with  previously into one final hurrah, the band taking a swaggering and atmospheric ride into the sunset that they will hopefully ride back from one day with a whole new set of darkly delicious songs.

  𝖔𝖉𝖆's debut release may not be the sort of album that will have doom's traditionalists slavering at the mouth but for those of us who like to see an element of risk taking and disconformity in our doom then you could not ask for a better collection of songs than those gracing "Bloodstained".

Check it out ....

© 2024 Frazer Jones

SANTA PLANTA ~ FROM THE TRAILS OF DESIRE .... review

Those days of listening to a new album and immediately sitting down at a keyboard in order to write a review are sadly long gone, in these days of AI the first thing we reviewers have to do, to ascertain a band is a bona-fide collection of flesh and blood musicians and not just the creation of an individual feeding data into a programme, is to check through the makers of said albums social media and web sites to see if they are who they claim to be, that they are gigging and have traceable members who may or may not have worked on other projects. Thankfully all that extra research is not needed for the subject of this review as Spanish psych/stoner doomsters Santa Planta, Lorena Zamora Blanco (drums/vocals); Guillermo Marcos Feijóo (bass) and Dani Roldán-Cuartero (guitar/keyboards/vocals), were already known to us at Desert Psychlist thanks to us having had the privilege of reviewing the bands self-titled EP "Santa Planta" on these very pages, a review in which we described them as "full of promise and one to keep our eyes and ears on in the future". That promise has now been realised in the shape of their first full length album "From The Trails Of Desire", a truly desirable release.

"Seeds" kicks off Santa Planta's debut with eerie keyboards parping doomily over minimal percussion and behind low basement level bass before being joined by crunchy guitar textures over which dual vocals deliver a ritual flavoured chant, the song lasts just under three minutes but it serves its purpose by setting the tone for all that is to follow, "Santa Planta", the song that gives the band their name, is next, the song boasts a deliciously seductive lysergic feel in its early stages but then soon evolves into a low slow stoner-doomic dirge with the vocals following a similar trajectory, hazy and melodic  initially but moving up to an impassioned clean wail as the song progresses. "Acid Conclave" rears its head next and here we find Santa Planta melding orchestral like keyboard flourishes with dank dark doomic riffage supported by sparse but thunderous drumming over which soaring and confidently sung lyrics tell a tale of pyramids and priestesses. If you are not convinced yet about Santa Planta's psychedelic credentials then next song "The Dance (Interlude)" should swing the deal, its heady yet restrained drum and bass groove is further enhanced by liquid like guitar textures and sampled narration discussing the physical and spiritual aspects of dancing, its trippy. left of centre and strangely beautiful. Penultimate number "Waves" finds Santa Planta getting their Colour Haze groove on, the song a sprawling opus with an undulating rhythmic quality, much in keeping with its title, that is overlaid with fractured chord voicings and shimmering lead work, it's accompanying vocals a mix of wordless wails and soulful croons. Having mesmerised us with their lilting psych the band now go for the throat with "Ten Thousand Year Plan" a grainy and fuzz drenched, bass heavy riff monster augmented by swirling keyboards that is only just anchored to ground zero by solid tight industrious drumming, vocals here clean angsty and at times gloriously manic.

Santa Planta have, with "From The Trails Of Desire", not only delivered on the promise and potential they showed via their self-titled EP, they have surpassed it. They are now not a band we should be keeping an eye on for the future , they are now a band other young bands should be striving to emulate. 

Check 'em out......

© 2024 Frazer Jones

PLANET OF ZEUS ~ AFTERLIFE ... review

 

If you have had the privilege of ever seeing Greece's Planet Of Zeus play live you will already know that they are a real force to be reckoned with, the band have been no slouches in the studio either, the bands first three albums, "Eleven The Hard Way", "Macho Libre" and "Vigilante", are considered by many to be classics in their field, that field being heavy stoner metal and swaggering no quarter given hard rock. Now it would have been easy for Planet Of Zeus to follow up those three well received releases mentioned with an album that followed much the same musical formula but instead they gave us "Loyal To The Pack" an album that saw the band not quite jettisoning the raucousness of their previous sound but blending into that raucousness elements that were a little more subtle and restrained in order to create a sound that was a touch more rounded and accessible. 2018 saw Planet Of Zeus release "Live In Athens" a sprawling no holds barred eighteen song document of the bands appearance at Gagarin205, one of Athens's most historic live music venues, a true and honest representation of the bands unbridled power as a live concern. The bands next studio album, "Faith in Physics", saw Planet Of Zeus returning to the swaggering caustic sound of their first three albums while also getting a little political lyrically, musically still utilizing aspects of that restraint, subtlety and accessibility explored on "Loyal to the Pack" but twinning those aspects with much more in your face dynamics. History lesson over, the band have just released "Afterlife"(Ihaveadrum Records) their sixth studio album, will we get the caustic and raucous version of Planet Of Zeus that adorned those first three albums, will we get the more mature sound of the band a la "Loyal to the Pack" or will we get a blend of the two as with "Faith In Physics"....let's find out.

"Afterlife" kicks off with "Preview Of An Afterlife" a brief but interesting effect laden synthesised mood piece, that is quickly followed up by "Baptized In His Death" a groove heavy stoner/hard rock workout boasting an ear catching vocal melody framed by recurring guitar motifs underpinned by solid busy drumming, crunchy rhythm guitar and bouncy low bass, the songs cryptic lyrics loosely dealing with concepts of belief and faith. It's on to "Step On, Skin Off" next a stoner punk(ish) romp that sees guitarist/vocalist Babis Papanikolaou reverting to the caustic throat tearing hardcore tones we have come to love him for, admittedly not quite as deep and guttural as they once were but still wholly effective. "No Ordinary Life" has all the makings of of one of those great POZ live tunes that routinely sees fans going completely apeshit at their shows, the songs breakdown at the three quarter mark, before it re explodes for its caustic finale, may be old hat but boy does it work. For their next song, "The Song You Misunderstand", POZ add a splash of restrained bluesy southern rock colouring to their palette, a splash picked up by guitarist Selios Provis in his solo which is swirling and tasteful and perfectly supported by bassist Giannis Vrazos and drummer Serafeim Giannakopoulos' complimentary groove. "Let's Call It Even" has a Foo Fighter's feel about it, albeit the Foo Fighter's from an alternative universe while "Bad Milk" boasts a jerky off-piste alt-reggae-ish vibe. POZ go full on old school stoner for "Letter To A Newborn" but then dive headlong into a pool of alt-metal grunginess for the excellent "The Vixen". Having toyed with stoner, blues, southern rock, punk and off centred grunge/alt-metal POZ set their sights on doom for final number "State Of Non-Existence", only this is not by the numbers doom, this is a bluesy acid drenched version of doom offset with swirling torch-like dynamics, a big and beautiful curtain closer on what is yet another superb Planet of Zeus album.

We've all seen those reviews describing a bands latest album as a "return to form" but how do you go about describing a new album from a band who have never ever lost form, a band who have consistently delivered quality with each and every one of their releases. Well the best way is to just say... this is "Afterlife", the new album from Planet of Zeus, buy it now, you know its going to be a great album because these guys just don't make bad albums.

Check it out .....  

© 2024 Frazer Jones

DEMONIO ~ ACID RAIN .... review

Those loveable Italian rogues Demonio, whose members may or not be responsible for a whole raft of albums released under different band names, are back with a new collection of acid drenched guitar heavy tunage cobbled together beneath the banner "Acid Rain" (vinyl;:Regain Records. cassette: Ruidoteka Records). If you are a connoisseur of scuzzy Italian acid doom you will already know to expect washes of grainy fuzz soaked riffage, Hendrix-ian guitar solos, intense hard driven rhythms and husky vocals dialled way back in the mix, so it will then come as no surprise to discover that those things are exactly what Demonio's new album delivers. 

#image altered for publishing purposes

Account opener "Dopelords" begins with spaced out warbling effects then explodes like bomb into a typical Demonio groove, low grizzled bass and punchy drumming pushed to the fore in support of scorching lead work enhanced with swirling spacious effects, the songs accompanying vocals delivered in breathy husky tones, basically everything you could possibly want to hear from this Italian trio. "Hell's House" follows with guitarist Anthony and bassist Matteo laying down refrains so drenched in fuzz and distortion that if it where not for Paolo's busy solid drumming and Anthony's breathy sneery vocals would be just a wall of gnarly noise There is a delightful funky edginess to next song "Satan's Haze" which the trio twin with passages of  totally out there lysergic cosmicness, Anthony's vocals, buried deep in the mix, may be barely legible here but the same cannot be said about his guitar work which is an intriguing mix of form and dissonance that cuts through its surrounding miasma of rhythmic noise like a ceremonial dagger through a sacrificial virgin.  Following number "No Time No Space" would probably be the most radio friendly song Demonio have ever put together if it were not for its face melting guitar solo while "Jam For The Blood Sun", an exhilarating instrumental that gives Anthony an excuse for channelling his inner Hendrix, would probably never make it past the doors of a radio station let alone get on its playlist. Matteo's bass and Paolo's drums anchor down a funk(ish) 70's proto-metal/hard rock groove for title track "Acid Rain" with Anthony taking the "acid" part of the songs title as his cue to accompany his sneery vocals with the sort of guitar pyrotechnics that are fast becoming a rarity these days. Final track "Maha Kali", another instrumental, is a hazy, crazy heavy psych/acid blues work out that undulates between explosive  heavy bluesiness and laid back cosmic funkiness.

Non-fans of the Italian acid doom/scuzz scene will no doubt be happy to point out the musical similarities many of the bands inhabiting the sub-genre share and will sagely try to convince anyone listening that all that fuzz and distortion is just a way of masking a lack of musical ability., Fans of the scene, of which there are many, however will not care what others may say because they know that albums like Demonio's "Acid Rain" are not aimed at musos who want to dissect every lick or phrase and find "meaning" in every note, they understand that this music is aimed at those who like nothing more than screaming guitar solos that crumble into dissonance, vocals so low in the mix they are almost unintelligible and a groove that is like being hit hard in the face with a wet fish. These fans also understand that for all its fuzziness and distortion Demonio's "Acid Rain" is, at the end of the day, only rock'n'roll ......and they like it! 

Check it out ....  

© 2024 Frazer Jones

VALLEY OF THE SLUTS ~ RISE OF THE SLUT ..... review

Given the bands name it is highly unlikely you will be hearing selected tracks from Valley Of The Sluts debut album "Rise Of The Slut" spilling forth from any of the mainstream rock radio shows anytime soon but then what is the mainstreams loss is most definitely the underground's gain, V.O.T.S, Ela (bass); Eli (guitar); Judy (drums) and Mene (vocals), jam a groove that blends alternative metal with aspects of heavy stoner rock and doom, a sound that they have described as "drawing inspiration from the world of the occult" while also reflecting their "lived experiences and strong feminist identity".

Opening/title track "Rise Of The Slut (Intro)" lasts for just sixty seconds but nevertheless leaves a lasting impression, the songs folkish vocal harmonies, accompanied by what sounds like a church organ, possess a haunting quality that stays with you long, long after the song finally fades into silence. Next track "Mistress In Training" uses those same sublime atmospherics for its intro but then slams into a fractured heavy stoner groove over which clean, slightly ethereal, slightly gothic vocals demand "your money" and "your soul". The "alternative" side of V.O.T.S' sound is pushed to the fore on the exquisitely exotic "Lonely Road", a song that sees guitarist Eli interspersing thrumming riffs with elegant arpeggios and eastern flavoured  motifs beneath which Ela's bass and Judy's drums deliver a battery of loud/quiet/loud dynamics, Mene levelling things up with an effortlessly undulating vocal. "Red Sea Waves" is an off-centred blend of just behind the beat alt-reggae metal and blustering heavy stoner rock over which vocals are a trade off between clean and powerful and harsh and husky. V.O.T.S bring a mixture of swaggering Sabbathian chug'n'roll and restrained and moody grunginess to the table for "Cut Without Blood" while "Two Moons" sees the band fully embracing their occult rock side "Six Feet Under" employs thrumming riffage and thunderous rhythms to frame a surprisingly easy on the ear vocal melody but then muddy up the waters by twinning that melody with a return of those harsh and husky tones. Finally we get  to "Suffering From Success" a song where we find fuzzy guitar refrains and punchy drumming creating a platform for a ridiculously catchy vocal melody, the song boasting a slightly pop-punk dynamic but one that does not detract from its enjoyability.

#Those who opted for the "deluxe" version of the album posted on the bands Bandcamp page also get the demo versions of "Mistress In Training" and "Lonely Road" plus an acoustic (Dirt Road) version of "Lonely Road"  more surprising though will be the inclusion of the doubleshot reimagined version of "Red Sea Waves" which has a New Order (English rock band who integrate post-punk with electronic and dance music) feel in places.

Valley Of The Slut's "Rise Of The Slut" is one of those albums you sometimes come across where the artwork is impressive and what you have read about it is interesting but there is still something that leaves you unsure of whether it's really going to be your thing. Well if that is your mindset do not make the mistake Desert Psychlist nearly made by passing over this gem without taking a listen. What you will find beneath that artwork is a more than impressive band playing heavy music of real depth and vision, a band that explores many of the same themes explored by other bands in this field but approaches those themes from wholly different angle.

Check it out ... 

© 2024 Frazer Jones

HIGH REEPER ~ RENEWED BY DEATH .... review

High Reeper, Zach Thomas (vocals); Pat Daly (rhythm guitars); Justin Di Pinto (drums); Jimmy Althouse (bass) and Shane Trimble (lead guitars) may share a label with bands of a stoner and heavy psych persuasion but they are not strictly a stoner or a heavy psych outfit, they may have appeared on a split release with Hippie Death Cult entitled "Doom Sessions Vol.5" but neither are they what you would consider an out and out doom band. What High Reeper are is a kick-ass, no fucks given, straight down the line heavy metal unit who although may toy with elements of doom are not its flag bearers. Granted High Reeper are no Iron Maiden or Judas Priest but still there is no way you are going to mistake their galloping rhythms and thrumming refrains for anything other than metal of the heavy variety, especially when those rhythms and refrains are topped off with big clean, if somewhat gritty, commanding vocals and neo-classical flavoured guitar solos. The band has just released "Renewed By Death" (Heavy Psych Sounds Records) the long awaited follow up to previous releases "High Reeper" and "Higher Reeper" an album that some might call (us included) their "highest" achievement to date.

Things start well with opening/title track "Renewed By Death" the song introducing itself with tasty neo-classical noodling played over a sparse but effective chord progression before suddenly exploding into a metallic semi thrash like groove driven by minimalistic, but nevertheless thunderous, drumming and low growly bass. Vocals here are a little rougher and grittier than you might expect to hear within the genre of heavy metal but they are nonetheless powerful commanding and delivered with real conviction. "Alluring Violence" follows and is all chugging riffage and four to the floor rhythms interspersed with bursts of pyrotechnical shredded guitar, the accompanying vocals boasting a semi-sung/semi shouted dynamic which fit the songs lyrical content perfectly. Vocals for next song "Lamentations Of The Pale" are a little more melodic and musical than those delivered on the previous track and are backed by a groove that totally justifies the bands inclusion on Heavy Psych Sounds Records Doom Sessions series while "Broken Upon The Wheel" is a hard to ignore chugging yet atmospheric behemoth featuring a great vocal melody and some searing guitar work. "Jaws Of Darkness" opens dark and moody then settles down into a crunchy metal groove that has an early solo Ozzy Osbourne torch song feel, the song also boasts one of the albums best guitar solos."Smoldering Remains" sees High Reeper utilizing sampled movie narrative to flesh out their metal, twinning those samples with thick throbbing riffage and pummelling rhythms that support a powerful hook heavy vocal melody. "Torn From Within" sees the vocals reverting back to the slightly shouty dynamics that decorated "Alluring Violence" but are here backed by a groove that sits just a few BPM's shy of thrash-like. Final number "Echoes OF Mortality" begins its life moody and atmospheric but then erupts into a groove buoyed by crushing saw-toothed riffage, grizzled bass lines and punchy busy percussion that in its initial stages rocks a more stoner metal-like dynamic but in its later stages takes on a more classic heavy metal stance before finally signing off in a wave undulating and ambient flavoured guitar textures.

High Reefer have with "Renewed By Death" made an album that will appeal to fans of traditional heavy metal as well as  those whose allegiances lean a little more towards stoner and doom. They have that heavy metal chug and gallop thing nailed down to T but also have in their locker elements of the low'n'slow and the raucous and gritty, these guys are basically the full package.

Check 'em out .... 

© 2024 Frazer Jones

NOVEMBER FIRE ~ THROUGH A MOURNFUL SONG ... review

New England trio, November Fire, formed in the early '90s, has finally recorded their debut album! Thanks to  advances in modern home recording technology November Fire have at last been able to capture their intense grooves for prosperity. The band members, Terry Aubie (bass/vocals/sound effects), Dave Hubai (guitars/vocals), and Jim Kelley (drums), can now  finally show those who have never got to see them live what they are all about thanks to their sparkling new release "Through A Mournful Song", a completely self-produced album with lyrics centred around the human condition.

In our short blurb gracing November Fire's Bandcamp page Desert Psychlist wrote "This is what Zappa might have sounded like had he gone down the stoner/desert rabbit hole", what we meant by those words was not that November Fire sounded anything like Frank Zappa but that there is an element of that same off-piste quirkiness and celebration of the absurd in what November Fire bring to the table, having a feel of something that Zappa himself might have brought into play had he ever dipped his toes in this genre. To fully understand what we mean you only need to listen to opening track "Wall of Monsters" where palm muted riffage is joined by what at first listen sounds like a goth Elvis singing " We want the same but hate each other", the track then exploding into a gnarly stoner/hard rock groove over which those distinctive vocals trade off with growlier slightly harsher tones, oh and be ready for the songs face-melting instrumental middle section it is INSANE!  "Can He See" is next, the songs slightly doomic dynamic supports a lyrical theme bemoaning those continually look back rather than forward with the songs chorus adding a theatrical vibe to the proceedings with a call and response vocal dynamic that has "rock opera" written large all over it. "Sad Song With No Name" is again doomic in flavour and again, thanks to its cleverly arranged vocals, feels like an out-take from a rock opera not yet made. Next song "Faint As The Stars" is played at a gallop and although we usually associate galloping rock/metal with Iron Maiden this particular gallop has more of Hawkwind-ish feel thanks in part to its underlying swirliness. "Under Red Skies" is basically a blues song but a blues song written on acid on a planet far far away while final song "Wake Up" is a mix of otherworldly funkiness and off-piste doominosity reminiscent of Captain Beefheart when he still had at least one of his feet planted on terra firma, it's jaw-dropping weirdness of the highest order.

November Fire are not your run of the mill rock band and "Through A Mournful Song" is not your run of the mill rock album either. There is insanity here but it is a structured insanity tethered to normality by the musicians involved not allowing things to get too out of hand and collapse into chaos, constantly pulling back from the brink of going way out there to deliver a music that is close to the edge but not over it.

Check it out .... 

© 2024 Frazer Jones

ROBOT GOD - SUBCONSCIOUS AWAKENING ... review

2024 is turning out to be a very good year for fans of Australian groovsters Robot God, Matt Allen (bass/vocals/synth); Raff Iacurto (guitar/vocals/synth) and Tim Pritchard (drums/synth), not only have the band already served us up one absolute killer release with "Portal Within" (April 2024)  they have now followed it up with "Subconscious Awkening" (Kosmik Artifactz), four more epic length songs of engrossing space rock and heavy psych shot through with all the elements of stoner rock and doom we've fast become accustomed to expecting from them. 

Opening track "Blind Serpent" is as good, if not better, than all that the band have recorded up to this point in time, it's weird and wonderful collection of whooshing synthesised noise and liquid-like guitar effects, supported by busy but non-intrusive drumming and low rumbling bass, are enhanced by vocals that are clean lean and melodic and are backed by an equally melodic mix of harmonies and counter harmonies that possess an almost choral quality in places. The heavy rockers out there might be wondering when things start to get heavy, well they DO get heavy but in a way those rockers probably  might not be expecting. The heaviness here is in the weight and depth of the songs composition, when a riff does eventually start rolling in its because that is what is called for in that moment in time, a dynamic within the song and not the reason for the song, if that makes sense. However second track "Mandatory Madness" sees Robot God delivering all the heaviness anyone with enough digits to make a devil's horn with could possibly ask for, thunderous drumming, growling bass and thrumming riffage and searing lead are all on display here, the only thing not getting down and dirty being the vocals which remain clean and lilting if somewhat a little more gritty and dynamically insistent. Having delivered the asked for heaviness Robot God then move into territory that is a touch more Elder-ish in flavour with "Subconscious Awakening" the spacious and spatial title track boasting a chugging almost funky groove fleshed out with synthesised whoops and whistles over which clean lead vocals and lilting harmonies twist in around each other like mating snakes and guitar solos tear the skies asunder with screeching intensity. Finally we arrive at " Sonic Crucifixion" where we find Robot God getting their proto-doom groove on while managing to sound nothing at all like any of the proto-doomic bands that have gone before them, a hazy lysergic laced take on doom that is heavy on groove but light on all the usual tropes and cliches often associated with the genre. 

Anyone with even the merest smidgeon of love for music sitting at the more highbrow end of the underground rock spectrum will no doubt have already fallen deeply under the spell of Robot God's spacious and all encompassing grooves but for those who have not then "Subconscious Awakening" is an excellent album to start your journey backwards through their catalogue from. 

Check it out ....

© 2024 Frazer Jones