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

OBJET ~ OBJET ...review

Portland, Maine's Objet, Dan Paulsen (drums); Greg Burns-Jackson (bass); Andy Beavis (guitar); Keith Hebert (guitar) and Kris Milo (vocals), first came to Desert Psychlist's attention via their debut EP "The Space That Binds Us" which we reviewed on these pages (here) where we described the band as "not quite the finished article" but who "with the right breaks and a willingness to work hard could have a bright future". The band must have listened because their next release "Inanimate" was a much more rounded and polished affair that saw the band really pushing the proggish element of their sound to the fore, still heavy and still worshipping at the altar of the riff but with little more emphasis on songcraft. The band have just released their new album "Objet" an album that sees them really coming into their own as a band and taking one more huge step towards that bright future we predicted for them.

Drums and dual guitar crunchiness introduce first track "Table For One" then the bass and vocals join the fray and its all aboard the party bus to destination last note, along the way picking up elements of hard rock, desert rock and prog metal, Milo taking the role of the tour guide at the front of the bus spouting pearls of wisdom in strong clear tones over a groove that twists and turns like a contortionist on steroids. "One Wolf" is next its initial bluesy intro is soon replaced by a fractured and twitchy groove that is driven by hard by Paulsen's busy drumming and Burns-Jackson's low booming bass and is given wings by Beavis and Hebert's highly impressive guitar work, an intriguing mixture of harmonic synchronicity and dissonant asynchronism, Milo adding to this delightful cacophony a powerful vocal telling us that he has "faced many trials" while admitting "there’s still so much that I don’t know". "Out Of The Light" begins life quite dark and doomic but then in comes Milo with a vocal you just cannot help wanting to join in with, Desert Psychlist has to admit to hearing an element of Sweden's Ghost in the way this song is structured, not so much in its musical attack but most definitely in the execution of its vocal melody. "Lost In Place" follows and boasts yet another superb Milo vocal this time though set against a backdrop that when not interrupted by its vocals has a slight post-metallic feel. "Next To Nothing" sits its vocal on a groove that is a touch more straightforward to that which has gone before while "Perpetual Drift" could be described as low key proto doomic if it were not for the quirkiness of its guitar parts which to these ears sit in the ball park of QOTSA-esque. For "Race For The Sun" Objet brandish their Sabbath worship for all to hear, the song beginning its journey in the territory of Sabbath's first album but then gradually shifting up to a sound more akin to the British bands pre-stoner "Master of Reality" period, albeit tinted with that all prevailing air of quirkiness that Objet have made their signature. "Odd Magic" closes proceedings and mixes elements of doom, quirky desert rock and prog metal all together in one place to create an ever shifting, never sedentary, call to arms that sees Milo telling us "there are no stars and in the dark we play with fire" which is then followed up by him inviting us to "come forth and stoke it higher", an invitation hard to turn down.

Objet's self-titled second album is one of those releases you know, after just one listen, you'll be coming back to again and again. This is angular, jagged, heavy, swaggering music played by phenomenally gifted musicians who understand songcraft and are respectful of each others parts in that process, you will find no individual showboating here just five guys all working hard together to make each song the best that it can possibly be.

Check it out ....  

© 2024 Frazer Jones