STONE DUST RIDERS ~ VOLUME 1 ....... review

I guess you could call Baltimore's Stone Dust Riders a true garage band, the trio of Sean Kearney (guitar/vocals), Dennis Barth (bass) and the oddly named Cabbage (drums), having worked out their tunes, rehearsed and jammed them from a garage they call "The Compound" in Granite , Maryland. Now the words "garage band" these days seems to conjure up visions of  The Stooges, MC5 type grooves, raw and untamed rock with a ton of feral punkish attitude but Stone Dust Riders could not be further from that description, the sound coming from their garage is an intriguing mix of 70's hard rock bluster and 90's stoner/desert grooviness all seasoned with a large pinch of bluesy swagger, still slightly raw edged but with a certain finesse. Their debut release "Volume 1" may have been born in the garage but it wants to live in the mansion.

"Volume 1" kicks into life courtesy of the WAH drenched and fuzz heavy  instrumental "November" a delightfully grainy tome driven by Cabbage's solid, tight percussion and Barth's growling bass over which Kearney lays down a grizzly circular refrain embellished with gritty lead work. "Bike Ride" follows and we are suddenly plunged into newer territory with the band hitting into a funky blues groove that if it were not for its fuzz heavy mid-section you would swear was something lifted from a (pre-Michael McDonald) Doobie Brothers session thanks to its excellent vocal melody where Kearney perfectly channels the spirit, of that bands original vocalist (Tom Johnston), in both his tone and delivery.
Throughout "Volume 1" Stone Dust Riders explore different aspects and facets of that we call the "blues" putting a jazzy spin on them on "Steve The Dolphin", tinting them in psychedelic hues on "British Desert Tent" or just rocking them out with old school heaviness and southern swagger as on "Hominey & Grits" and "42",

Be you a hippy sporting a bandana and a kaftan, a stoner in cargo shorts and band tee or a hep cat in a zoot suit and tie you can rest assured that somewhere on "Volume 1" Stone Dust Riders have your blues preferences covered
Check it out ....

© Frazer Jones 2018

TWIN SPEAK ~ SOULSS ..... review

Desert Psychlist described Twin Speak's self titled debut album, in a short Bandcamp review blurb, as "perfect for those times when you have overdosed on heavy riffs and just want something to chill to" and "instrumental jam/stoner/desert rock that has a Colour Haze, Sungrazer, Causa Sui vibe" . Whether the band, Brandon Battles (guitar), Brett Rhymestine (guitar) and Ian Bellassai (drums), agreed with those descriptions is not known but there must have been something in those words that resonated with the Utica, New York trio as they recently contacted Desert Psychlist to point us in the direction of their latest release "Soulss"

Instrumental music can sometimes come over a touch one dimensional , lacking in the lyrical hooks and phrasing a vocalist can bring to the table, relying instead on the strength and instrumental prowess of the musicians involved. Sometimes those strengths and skills can work against a band and find them wandering into areas of self-indulgent, mindless noodling, thankfully that is not the case here. "Soulss" is not a pretty album but then nor is it an ugly one, there are moments of sheer beauty to be found throughout its forty two plus minute duration but there are also moments of discord and brutality, Twin Speak balance out these opposing aspects by not allowing one or the other ever to become the dominant force, weaving those aspects into each of their songs, sometimes in sections, sometimes cleverly interlaced together. There is also an undeniable cinematic quality to many of the grooves on "Soullss" with songs like "Black On Biscay", "Moonbathing" and "Mantras & Monsters" undulating in both mood and tempo, executed as if the band are following a film script only they can see but want you to feel.

A lot more angular and convoluted than its predecessor "Soulss" is nevertheless a stunning album that although not always easy on the ear is worth putting in the little extra effort needed to truly appreciate its, at times, breathtaking majesty.
Check it out ......

© 2018 Frazer Jones

SHINE ~ MOON WEDDING ...... review

In Poland slow is the new black, or that is how it seems whenever Desert Psychlist is confronted by something from that countries burgeoning heavy underground scene, musicians from this part of the world must be drinking something in the water that causes them to slow things down to crawling pace while at the same time thickening them up in both depth and resonance . Shine, Kamil Baran - guitar/vocals, Damian Olearczyk - bass/vocals, Igor Wasztyl - guitar and Marcel Łękawa - drums, a four piece stonerized doom band from Bielsko-Białaare are no exception to this rule. Shine, who first came to our attention with their excellent debut EP "Weednight", have a knack for creating lurching menacingly atmospheric grooves shot through with lysergic textures, textures and grooves they continue to explore on their latest release "Moon Wedding"

"Goat Mountain", an instrumental piece, opens "Moon Wedding", as you would expect, an achingly low, terminally slow doom groove supported from beneath by slow deliberate percussion with bass and rhythm guitar holding down the songs main riff while the second guitar adds touches of low, lysergic colouring. The song gradually increasing in depth and intensity before unexpectedly morphing into an up-tempo, wah pedal drenched blues groove in its dying seconds, an unexpected turn of events but one that is as enjoyable as it is surprising. "Shine" follows and finds the band once again hitting the slow. low trail this time though with the distortion levels turned up to eleven, vocals telling of seeing "unholy naked women dancing on your crypt" are delivered in cracked, sinister tones against a backdrop of grainy fuzz and pulverising rhythm. Title track "Moon Wedding" is up next and for once the band step away from their usual lethargic groove and embrace an almost stoner-esque,desert dynamic that sees Olearczyk and Łękawa laying down a solid bedrock of bass and drum grooviness for Baran and Wasztyl to decorate with crunching riffs and swirling solo's over which Baran and  Olearczyk harmonise lyrics that tell of  "a trip on a broom" and  agonize over " the illusion of separation". Shine return to the swampy mire for "Honey" a song whose tittle suggests saccharine sweetness but is in fact a song telling a tale of suffocation in sin and a slow fall from grace set against slow grinding metallic refrains and punishing percussion. "Riding The Snake" closes out the album with another slightly up-tempo number pushed by Olearczyk's growling bass and Łękawa's strident drums and overlayed with Baran and Wasztyl's combination of crunching powerchords and heavily effect laden guitar solo's, ok its not exactly thrash but for a band who like to play things a little sedate this is pretty pacey stuff.

 

Shine proved with their debut "Weednight" that they were a band to be reckoned with, a band with a penchant for the slow and heavy but one with a willingness to step outside of those constraints into faster waters if and when the mood took them but they were also a band still searching for their definitive sound, with "Moon Wedding" they've found it.
Check 'em out ...

© 2018 Frazer Jones

GODHEAD LIZARD ~ GODHEAD LIZARD .... review

Originally an instrumental band Quebec's Godhead Lizard, Jo (drums), Nic (guitar) and Phil (bass), soon came to realise they were missing a vital component from their musical equation and after a year of instrumental heaviness recruited that component into their sound in the shape of vocalist Vince. This move not only turned the band from a trio into a quartet overnight but was one that also saw their musical visions become full blown stories. Those stories, telling of anguish and despair pitched against a backdrop of crunching riffage and diverse rhythms, are now presented, for your listening pleasure, via the bands debut EP "Godhead Lizard".

"Dingir" kicks things off and starts with samples of contrasting religious cadences chanted and sang over an ever evolving guitar motif before exploding into a throbbing heavily fuzzed stoner-ish groove around which the vocalist rails against the hypocrisy's of religion and worship , in rich powerful  and slightly bitter tones. "Aphelia" follows and finds the band ramping up the atmospherics with a low. slow and very dank groove embellished with clever effects and touches of bluesy colouring, the songs brooding moodiness taken to another level by an unbelievably strong emotive vocal. Next track "Ancient Suns" begins its life gentle and considerate with acoustic guitar strummed and picked over a background of textured ambience before exploding bomb-like into a fuzz drenched heavy blues groove with its vocals, supported by growling bass, pounding percussion and crunching guitar, up front, aggressive and in your face. Around the halfway mark the groove suddenly shifts and the songs morphs into cinematic mode with frontman Vince taking the song to a close narrating a half sang, half spoken story/tone poem over a backdrop of liquid bass, jazzy percussion and glistening arpeggios, its overall effect and execution having an element of Robert De Niro's/Travis' iconic " All the animals come out at night" speech in Martin Scorcese's "Taxi Driver". "Mirage" finds Godhead Lizard back in more familiar territory, the band hitting a raucous hard rock/stoner groove drenched in fuzz and distortion and flecked with touches of bluesy swagger. "Dreamstone" closes proceedings with a song that follows in much the same vain as its predecessor but then veers left into  more lysergic areas before finishing in a wave of droning noise.

Dark, moody, atmospheric and brooding, "Godhead Lizard" is all of things and more, an album that delivers on all levels written, arranged and performed  by a band unafraid to confront things like alienation, frustration and anger yet a band still able to keep their foot well and truly on the groove.
Check 'em out ...

© 2018 Frazer Jones

FERNANDO ~ FERNANDO ........ review

Let's not muck about with long introductions today, let's just get down to the nitty gritty and tell you that Fernando, Nelson Rodrigues - Guitar / Vocals, Pedro Simão - Bass and Filipe Diniz - Drums, are a three piece band from Caldas Da Rainha, Portugal who play raucous sludge/stoner grooves coated in a mixture of clean and throaty vocal melodies and have a self-titled album out now that you just must hear.

In trying to keep with the straightforward and to the point introduction to this review how does Desert Psychlist explain how damn good this album is without going overboard and getting all gushing and flowery? Well the truth is we can't as "Fernando" is one of the most immediate and joyous albums we have had the privilege of hearing so far this year. Let's start with the riffs, this band have riffs coming out of their pores, raucous riffs, complex riffs, riffs that go in one direction and reverse back on themselves, riffs that will send shivers up your spine, riffs that will have have your jaw hitting the floor. If, by now you've not already scrolled down to the link posted beneath this review then let us tell you about the mixture of complex and simple rhythms that sit beneath those riffs, infectious drum beats and thrumming bass grooves that are the driving force around which those aforementioned riffs (and solo's) are executed, a tsunami of shifting  rhythmic groove that swells and quells as the various dynamics of each song dictate. Still with us? Well then let's discuss the superb vocal melodies that decorate these grooves, clean vocal melodies that swing between melodic and throaty and counterbalance the raucousness of the songs riffs and grooves with their contrasting mellow approach.

Ok, so if you managed to get here without scrolling past all our slavering praise then I guess you deserve to finally hear what we consider to be one of this years finest debuts from a new and very exciting band.
 Check it out ...

© 2018 Frazer Jones

MALOTA ~ KOCMOHABT ... review

Venice, Italy that maze of canals linked by bridges was, during the middle-ages, once a major seat of power but is these days known more as tourist attraction for foreign travellers, however power can take many forms and there is a new power making its presence felt atop the wooden piles and limestone plates that hold the city above water and is one wielded by four musicians, Alberto Montagner (guitar), Max D'Ospina (bass/keyboards/vocals),Roberto "Mariuz" Mariuzzo (drums/vocals) and Massimo Battistella (guitar/keyboards), who go by the name Malota, that power is the power of the riff and it can be heard on the bands latest album "Kocmohabt".

Concept albums seem to be coming out on an almost daily basis lately and "Kocmohabt" is yet another one, this time though there is a touch of tongue in cheek black humour involved as the theme concerns a journey through the cosmos not on a spaceship, designed to go where no man has been before, but on drugs. Songs with titles like "Visa for the Universe", "You Drive Me Junkie" and "Dimethyheptylpyran and Space Alien Dolphins" are served up with a mixture of swaggering hard rock bluster, gritty stoner/sludge attitude and a mischievous twinkle in the eye. From the absolutely delightful "The Long Sleep, The Wake and The Warp", with it's totally addictive and hard not to sing-a-long to chorus, through to the speaker shredding heaviness of "Buprenorphinelessness" there is a sense of roads much travelled, a feeling that this is less a concept and more a collective acid trip documented in music. Musically the band do not put a foot out of place with the band utilising a mixture of crunching riffage, thundering rhythms and strong throaty vocals with which to decorate their grooves overlaying those grooves with a wash of  clever keyboard effects and synthesised textures to give their sound, and songs, an extra lysergic dimension and astral spaciousness..

Listening to "Kocmohabt" brings to mind Neo's dilemma in the Matrix, "You take the blue pill, the story ends. You wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill, you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.". Desert Psychlist suggests you take the red pill and let Malota show you their universe.
Check 'em out ...


© 2018 Frazer Jones

PALE BASTARD ~ PALE BASTARD ........ review

A bands lifestyle choices can often be an indication of the music they play so when Swansea based Welsh rockers declare theirs as "riffs, beards, beers and blunts" you kind of get the feel that their grooves are going to be of a raucous, stonerized nature, a theory that is more than borne out by their self titled debut album "Pale Bastard"

Raucous metal riffs and gnarly stonerized rhythmic grooves are very much in evidence throughout the seven tracks that make up "Pale Bastard", as are shades of southern bluesy swagger and old school hard rock bluster and even some occasional doomy dankness, the band combining all these textures and stylings together to create a groove that is as much old school as it is new. A perfect example of this blending of musical styles occurs on the albums second track "Residual Fluid" where the band kick things off with a groove that would not have sounded out of place on a compilation album from NOLA's southern sludge and metal scene with heavy crunching riffs and big growling vocals layered over a backdrop of swampy groove that then suddenly takes off quite unexpectedly into a blues drenched metallic boogie section before gradually segueing into more stonerized metal territory for its finale. This diversity in dynamics and style continue right throughout the album even touching on prog(ish)  on  "Jira" and the excellently schizophrenic "Anne Frankenstein"  Highlights are many on "Pale Bastard" but if Desert Psychlist had to pick a favourite then we would have to opt for the sludgey stoner metal heaviness of "Spider Blood" with it's duelling vocals and diversity of guitar tones, a song that holds your attention from its crunching first note to its last.

In all honesty though there is not a weak track to be found throughout "Pale Bastard", the band cherry-picking elements from a variety of musical sources to create a sound that although has its core in the dynamics of sludge and metal is not constrained by those dynamics, a debut album that in Desert Psychlist's opinion is up there with this years finest.
Check it out ....

© 2018 Frazer Jones