STONE EMPEROR ~ PLANET RUIN ,,,,, review

On a personnel level there is not much we can tell you about the subject of this review other than that they hail from Cypress, California, that they prefer to use their initials, JJ (vocals/guitar); RG (bass) and JG (guitar/drums/percussions), rather than their full names and that their collective name is Stone Emperor. What we can tell you however is that they have made a stonking blues flecked hard /stoner rock album entitled "Planet Ruin"  and that it is now available on the hallowed pages of Bandcamp!

Although we did mention the terms "blues flecked" and "hard/stoner" in our intro piece for Stone Emperor's "Planet Ruin" we maybe also should have mentioned its alt-rock/grunge qualities also as this collection of seven riff heavy musical pieces owes as much to Seattle's grunge explosion as it does to the heavy blues rock of the 70's and the stoner/psych and doom grooves of today's underground scene. Those alt-rock grunge qualities present themselves partly in Stone Emperor's musical attack but mostly they come from JJ's vocals which are strong clean and tinted with an edgy weariness, which although not immediately apparent on the stoner(ish) first track "Winter Light" does give songs like the excellent "The Majestic Desert" and the superbly schizophrenic "Echoes of Existence" an edge that would not sound out of place on an alt-rock/grunge compilation album and that's despite both songs having heavy doomic musical backdrops. Stone Emperor's bluesier side also gets  an airing on "If I Bleed" a mid tempo old school torch song driven by RG and JG's booming bass lines and tub thumping drum patterns, JJ's impassioned sultry vocal and swirling guitar bringing an air of blues rock authenticity to the proceedings. The band finish things up with "Where I'm Going", a song that has a an almost radio friendly vibe, it is a bit of a departure from the bands heavier material but nonetheless an enjoyable one.

"Planet Ruin" is quite a unique in that it refuses to be penned into any one style, an album that blurs the lines that are drawn between genres and sub-genres and says this is what it is, either love it or leave it.
We love it, we hope you will too.
Check it out ….

© 2020 Frazer Jones

TORTUGA ~ DEITIES ..... review

An important factor, often overlooked, in a musical piece are its atmospherics and dynamics, it is all very well writing dark, macabre lyrical content but if you are unable to frame those lyrics within a suitably complimentary musical framework well its just won't work, just imagine Ozzy singing the lyrics to "Black Sabbath" against a bright poppy backdrop or a soulful brass arrangement, it would be almost laughable!
Poland's Tortuga understand atmospherics and their place in a musical context, the band combine a traditional set up of guitars, vocals, bass and drums with a heady mix of samples and synthesised effects to create a dark angular backdrop for their Lovecraftian themed tomes , a themes they explore in depth on their second full length album "Deities".

"Deities" begins it's assault on the senses with "Shining Sphere" a brooding dark instrumental underpinned by deep rumbling bass and tight solid percussion over which a mixture of shimmering arpeggios and thick guitar riffage compete with orchestral sounding synths. It's eerie, dark and "atmospheric" and sets the listener up nicely for what the rest of the album has to offer. "Esoteric Order" follows and like its predecessor starts off brooding and moody with Heszu's booming bass and Marmur's drums (no surnames here) laying down a jazzy doomic groove behind a short but highly effective vocal from guitarist/vocalist Bablo telling of Dagon the amphibious deity of the Deep Ones. The song then shifts through the gears and kicks into a Sabbathesque proto-doom groove with Bablo, joined by fellow guitarist Klosu, trading off Iommi flavoured licks and wah drenched solo's over a groove that shifts back and forth between slow and mid-tempo and is further enhanced by the clever use of movie/radio sound-bytes. Let it not be said that Tortuga are without a sense of humour, the band have their tongues firmly pressed into cheek for next track "For Elizard" a song sang from the perspective of a deity named Yig, the King of the Snakes, the vocals take on a suitable serpentine tone as "Yig" tells us of his hatred of Godzilla, going as far as saying "fuck Godzilla" and imparting the fact that "he's just a sleazy mutant" that "basically sucks" against a backdrop of fractured groove that's a mixture of heavy psych and theatrical stoner doom. "Defective Mind Transfer" and "Black Pharaoh II" follow, the first a schizophrenic instrumental embellished with synthesised swirls and short bursts of sampled narrative the second a heavy doomic tome tinted with bluesy undertones and boasting another suitably apt theatrical vocal. Listeners could be fooled into thinking that Tortuga have slightly dropped the ball on hearing the intro into "Trip", its slightly twee beginning meanders without actually going anywhere but then comes to vivid life when suddenly out of the blue it erupts into a galloping proto metal groove that finds Bablo and Klosu telling us in harmonised tones of a meeting with, another of Lovecraft's deities, Azathoth while tripping on acid, the attached soundbyte that accompanies the music proving just as entertaining as the songs lyrics. "Galeón de Manila" closes "Deities" and although Desert Psychlist is unsure of its connection with Lovecraft or its place within the album concept it is nonetheless a striking piece of doomic delight that begins with the sound of a howling wind behind spoken narrative,(Spanish), and ends in a seemingly unending swirl of synthesised noise. its middle section a full on stoner doom assault on the senses driven by pounding percussion, growling bass and crunching guitar riffage over which a strong, slightly gothic, vocal melody is perfectly executed (also in Spanish), the perfect end to a perfectly rewarding listening experience.

Desert Psychlist came to this album a little later than most, we have already read glowing reviews extoling the virtues of this stunning album and we have to say we agree with everything that's been written about it. "Deities" is a triumphant blending of conceptual songwritting and storytelling soundtracked to a backdrop of dark atmospheric doom. As we wrote on the bands Bandcamp page.... "Tortuga use atmosphere as if it were an instrument in its own right and they play the fuck out of it!"
Check it out ….

© 2020 Frazer Jones

GYPSYBYRD ~ GYPSYBYRD .... review

Jake Lewis is a man who likes do things a little differently, the multi-instrumentalist first came to Desert Psychlist's attention via "Blood of the Raven"" a stunning doomic opus from his other project Burn Ritual. Burn Ritual started life as a one man affair, with Lewis playing almost everything, and resulted in a two track EP entitled "Like Suffering" but then soon morphed into a fully fledged band for the release of the widely acclaimed "Blood of the Raven". Not a man content to sit on his laurels Lewis almost immediately started writing music again, however the music that was flowing out of his head had a more lysergic, psychedelic edge, an edge that didn't quite fit the proto-doomic remit he was exploring with Burn Ritual. Wanting to get this music heard Lewis recruited Sun of Grey vocalist/guitarist Freddy Allen to handle bass duties for "Eye of the Sun" a new project that was forming in his mind, a project that would once again see him holding down the bulk of the instrumentation and be released under the collective banner of Gypsybyrd.

Freddy Allen's deep booming bass motif introduces "Prisoner", the first track of "Eye of the Sun", and almost immediately Desert Psychlist can understand why Lewis needed to find an alternative vehicle for his latest musical scribblings as the music emanating out of Desert Psychlist's speakers is as far removed from Burn Ritual's Sabbathesque bluster as it is possible to get. Where with Burn Ritual Lewis came at us with all guns blazing and riffs roaring here we find him using a subtler palette of colours to paint his soundscapes with. There is a hazy, almost chilled, feel to the music Lewis brings to the table on "Eye of the Sun", a feel that caresses rather than bludgeons, this is not to say songs like "Cosmic Eyes", "The Quest for the Enlightened One" and "The Mountain" are bereft of any elements of "heaviness" it's just that that "heaviness" is approached with a little more consideration and subtlety.

Desert Psychlist, when reviewing, Burn Ritual's "Blood of the Raven", could not help but make some references to the albums Sabbathesque qualities however those references were approached from the perspective of Sabbath's heavier doomic tomes. Those Sabbathesque qualities are also present on Gypsybyrd's "Eye of the Sun" but instead of taking them from the heavier end of Sabbath's doomic spectrum Lewis has opted for the more lysergic side of the Birmingham Four's sonic output.. Imagine if you can that Sabbath had made their name not on the strength of "War Pigs" and "Iron Man" but on the heavily phased lysergic majesty of "Planet Caravan", and if you can..., then imagine what a whole album of songs like that would sound like. Wonder no longer!
Check it out ….

© 2020 Frazer Jones

ACID MAMMOTH ~ UNDER ACID HOOF ..... review

Mammoth's were big hairy elephant-like mammals armed with impressive weaponry, not sure they had much exposure to the delights of lysergic based pharmaceuticals but apart from that they have much in common with, Acid Mammoth, the subject of this review. Acid Mammoth are a doomic four piece from Athens, Greece who, judging by their press photo's, are also quite hairy, the combo also boast some impressive weaponry only theirs is not long white ivory tusks, theirs come in the shape of devastatingly dank riffs and rhythms that although may not kill you will almost certainly leave you slightly battered and bruised. As for the "acid" part of their name well there is plenty of that to be found in the swirling lead breaks and solo's that decorate the bands second album "Under Acid Hoof" (Heavy Psych Sounds Records).

Another thing Acid Mammoth's grooves share with the animal they borrowed, part of, their name from is their size. Acid Mammoth's sound is big heavy and powerful, not so much slow and low, but possessing a delightful lumbering quality that adds a certain depth to its sonic impact. Now given that the bands stock in trade is titanic riffs and thundering rhythms you might expect vocals of a similar dynamic, maybe something a little growly or demonic, but instead Acid Mammoth offset their huge sounding grooves with tones that are both melodic and clean. Chris Babalis Jr. holds down the vocals while also doubling up on guitar, a duty he shares with his father Chris Babalis Sr., his vocals are slightly one dimensional but are delivered with a strength and clarity that is quite refreshing in this age of growlers and screamers. The Babalis father and son pairing lay down a mixture of dark toned dual riffage and swirling sharp lead on their respective axes and are superbly supported by Dimosthenis Varikos (bass) and Marios Louvaris (drums) the rhythmic duo supplying the meat and potatoes for Sr. and Jr to garnish with a superb array of six-string flavourings.
Five songs make up "Under Acid Hoof", "Them!", "Tree of Woe"," Tusks of Doom", Jack the Riffer" and title track "Under Acid Hoof", each has its own unique doomic charm and each would be worth the price of the album just on their own and there are not too many albums you could say that about!

Greece is fast building a reputation for producing quality underground rock music from quality underground rock bands however many of those bands hail from the stoner/hard rock and psych end of the musical spectrum so its nice to see/hear a band like Athens's Acid Mammoth emerging from that country with something a little more doomic. "Under Acid Hoof" is a superb follow up to the bands debut "Acid Mammoth" and should go a long way to cementing their place as one of  the leading lights on Athens burgeoning doom scene, now go tell the Spartans!

Check 'em out ….

© 2020 Frazer Jones

ISLES OF MARS ~ ISLES OF MARS ...... review

Let's start with a little rock history lesson … Many still consider the 70's as the "golden age" of rock music a time when .in the words of journalist Mick Wall, "Giants Walked the Earth". Many of those so called "giants" hailed from a little island, stuck between the cold waters of the North Sea and the vast expanse of the Atlantic Ocean, called Britain. Britain gave to the planet such icons of the rock world as Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath and Jethro Tull but the British rock scene back then was a two tier system in that for every Zeppelin there was a May Blitz, for every Sabbath a Budgie, every Purple a Uriah Heep and every Tull a Wild Turkey, these bands were often referred to as "second division bands". The term "second division" did not mean the music these bands played was any less vital or exciting than their more well known contemporaries just that they either didn't have the label promotion or managerial support to push their careers that little bit further.
Many of these "second division" bands have achieved an almost cult status among those who spend their time listening to the grooves and riffs of today's underground rock scene and many of todays bands are not averse to referencing these bands as influences in their promotional bio's and on their social media pages either. Germany's Isles of Mars are one such band to doff their caps to the demi-gods of rocks "second division" citing the sound they create as being a blend of Atomic Rooster and Camel among others, whether you will agree with this description Desert Psychlist will leave for you to decide by giving their self titled debut EP "Isles of Mars" a spin.

Isles of Mars are Dave Brechbilder (drums), Gregor K. (bass) and David S. (guitar and vocals), three musicians from Mannheim, Germany with a real understanding of 70's rock music, not just in its sound but also it's structure and feel. It could be argued that "Isles of Mars" is an EP with a strong "retro" vibe but Desert Psychlist prefers to term the sound this trio bring to the table as having a more "vintage" quality, Isles of Mars do not just try to emulate the grooves of  those late 60's, early 70's bands, mentioned earlier, and bring them up to date, these guys actually capture the sound and feel of that period. It would not be inconceivable to imagine a casual listener, spinning songs like "Psychopompos" and "Lady Atrocity" for the very first time, to actually sit back and believe they have just listened to an obscure band from rock's heyday such is the authenticity of the musicality and production on display here. On the musicality front Isle of Mars can't be faulted, Brechbilder and Gregor K. bring a diverse array of groove to the party, Brechbider's rock steady rhythms are spiced up with elements of jazz-like swing and proggish complexity while Gregor K. nails down the bottom end with a mix of growling and booming liquidity, his runs and fills sounding at times like a Boeing 747 getting ready for take off. David S holds down guitar and vocal duties, his swirling solo's, crunching chords and delicate arpeggios filling the spaces Brechbilder and K. leave him with an impressive range of textures and tones while his vocals, although not in the rock-god arena, are strong clean and totally effective.

"Isle of Mars" is a superb debut from a band who proudly wear their influences on their sleeves and are unafraid to celebrate those influences in their music. If you like your hard rock flavoured with an un-manufactured, authentic flavour of the 70's then you cant go far wrong by giving these guys 25 minutes and 50 seconds of your time, we guarantee you will not be disappointed.
Check 'em out …

© 2020 Frazer Jones

TOMBSTONE EYES ~ LAND IN THE SKY ...... review

From out of Chicago, Illinois come Tombstone Eyes, a blues based band like no other, a band who give meaning to the words hazy and psychedelic, a band who have made an album entitled "Land In The Sky", an album that you will want to listen to until your ears bleed and your brain turns to mush!

If you thought the blues as a genre had seen its best days pass or that its fabled mojo was no longer in working order then prepare to have those thoughts utterly shattered. Some may argue that Chicago's Tombstone Eyes are not a blues combo at all but if you cannot recognise the delta drenched presence of Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters beneath the swirling psychedelic textures this band cloak their grooves in then its possible we are listening to a different band. Tombstone Eyes are not just any ordinary blues combo either, these guys are an extraordinary blues combo, that's quite a bold statement you may be thinking but Desert Psychlist defies you to listen to the bands hazy lysergic take on the blues and not come away without a huge shit-eating grin on your face. From the organ drenched intro of "Hydrogen Fog", to the schizophrenic mix of samples, noise and piano that is "Showman's Rest" there will be no doubt left in the listeners mind that they are listening to something a little different but nonetheless a little bit special. It is however between these two songs that the real meat and potatoes of Tombstone Eyes sound can be found, the band jamming chilled, acid drenched blues grooves, on songs with titles like "Solar Barge", "Precession of the Sun" and "Black Knight Satellite", that are slightly off-kilter and hazy but steeped in the traditions of a genre older than they are.

Tombstone Eyes play a heavily stoned, tripped out and psyched version of a genre that been around for eons, the band don't so much reinvigorate the genre as offer it some different narcotics and see how it copes, and on the evidence of "Land In The Sky" it copes very nicely thank you.
Check it out ....

© 2020 Frazer Jones

GOLGOTHA ~ ELDER DRUID ...... review

Hard to believe that there was a time when Elder Druid was known only to a few fellow Irish metalheads and a few clued up journo's and bloggers with their fingers on the underground rock scenes pulse. These days the announcement of an upcoming release from these Ballymena bruisers is met with the sort of excitement and anticipation usually reserved for Swedish or American big hitters like Graveyard and Monster Magnet. The reason for this is simple, Elder Druid may operate at the harsher end of the underground spectrum but their grooves have a swing and meter that speaks to rock fans right across the board, their sound being harsh enough to grab the extremists but also diverse enough to appeal to those with more conservative tastes.
The band, Gregg McDowell (vocals); Jake Wallace (guitar); Mikey Scott (guitar); Dale Hughes (bass/keys/Theremin) and Brien Gillen (drums), return this year with their latest opus "Golgotha" (available January 17, 2020) so lets find out if all that anticipation and excitement is justified.

As Desert Psychlist has stated on numerous occasions we are not big fans of harsh, guttural vocals, so why, you must be asking, are we reviewing an album by a band known for those type of vocals. The reason is that although vocalist Gregg McDowell may sound like he is channelling the spirit of some ancient demon through a torn and bleeding larynx the singer can, unlike many with a similar style, actually make himself understood and he brings a clarity to Elder Druids lyrics that might otherwise have been lost had they been sang by anybody else of a similar vocal dynamic. Another reason why Desert Psychlist is reviewing  "Golgotha" is that, vocals aside, Elder Druid are a virtual groove monster who can bludgeon you into submission with the force of their stoner doomic riffs and thunderous sludge rhythms, as they do on tracks like the humungous sounding "Sleeping Giant" and the satanic sounding "Vincere Vel Mori", or can send you spinning through gaping cosmic black holes with their forays into lysergic territory, as can be witnessed on the superb psych/doom instrumental "Sentinel". There is much more musicality to be found on "Golgotha" than can be found on previous Elder Druid releases, one reason for this could be the bands decision to allow bassist Hughes the freedom to run riot with a Fender Rhodes and a Theremin but more likely it is the fact that this is a band who have jammed, rehearsed and gigged together as a unit for many years and, along with an increased prowess in their instrumental ability, have built up an almost telepathic understanding of each others parts in the whole, a whole that just seems to get better and better with every release.

Desert Psychlist has read a lot of album reviews and articles comparing Elder Druid to this or that band, Electric Wizard has been mentioned as have Black Sabbath, The Melvins and Sleep but we can categorically state that when listening to "Golgotha" all Desert Psychlist  can hear is Elder Druid, and that is the biggest compliment we could possibly pay this unique and exciting band.
Check 'em out ….

© 2020 Frazer Jones