TEMPTRESS ~ SEE ..... review

 

Temptress, Andi Cuba (drums/vocals): Christian Wright (bass/vocals) and Kelsey Wilson (guitars/vocals), have been "tempting" us for a while now, first with their excellent self-titled 2019 EP "Temptress" and since with a pair of singles "Serpentine" and "Hopeless" released as teasers for "SEE" (Metal Assault Records), the full length album we are reviewing today. 

Floydian is how Desert Psychlist would describe opening song "Death Comes Around", its guitar textures and colours are Gilmour-esque in both flavour and execution, its drumming is straight out of the Nick Mason less is more handbook. and its low slung and liquid bass lines would even make that old curmudgeon Roger Waters smile. Vocals are delivered harmonious, hazy and melodic with Wright's deeper tones only just winning the battle for prominence over those of Cuba and Wilson. Coming in at just over ten and a half minutes there was always a danger of the band meandering off into a musical cul-de-sac but they avoid this by filling up every second of this stunning opus with subtle shifts and unexpected twists and turns that ensure interest from start to finish. Its all change for next track "Into My Soul" out go the Floydian textures and in come the crunching chord progressions and heavy hitting percussion, despite these heavier dynamics the vocals, sung in the main by Wilson, possess a melodic catchiness, especially in the chorus, that you might not expect given the ferocity of the music surrounding them, As the song progress so does its heaviness with Wilson's clean vocal taking a backseat to allow Wright to exorcise his demons with some throat ripping harsh and blackened roaring, the band finally taking things to a close on a doom tinted jam. "Waiting" follows and sees the band getting down and dirty on a dank plodding groove over which Wilson and Wright execute vocal trade offs while "Cry" is a soaring and atmospheric lament beautifully sung by Wilson, her serene emotional tones only just matched by her swirling guitar solos which are perfectly framed by Wright and Cuba's sympathetic bass and drum grooves. "Serpentine" marks a slight departure from the Floydian psych and the metallic heaviness that has been prevalent up to this point, here we find the band going fully cosmic with clipped vocal tones poetically intoned over a backdrop of wordless wailing and thick crunchy chords, the song still heavy but in a quirky, off-kilter way. "Hopeless" brings things to a close with a song that is an old school sword rattler and has a touch of Celtic folkiness running through its veins, listeners to Irish black metal/folk extremists Primordial might recognise some similarities in the way the riffs here are structured and also in the way Wright pitches his vocals, especially in the upper register.,

SEE" is an album that draws from the full gamut of the metal spectrum , it is an album that has the swagger and strut of stoner and hard rock, the bluster of heavy metal, the dankness of doom and the headiness of heavy psych. Add to this hotchpotch of diverse styles a three way vocal attack that ranges from hazy and clean through to gruff and growly and you quickly come to the realisation that Temptress are not your atypical underground rock band and that they have something very different going on.

Check 'em out .... 

© 2023 Frazer Jones

CLEÕPHÜZZ ~ MYSTIC VULTURE .... review

Today Desert Psychlist reviews a truly impressive album but at the same time laments the passing of the band that made that album, the album in question is "Mystic Vulture" a stunning opus awash with elements of grunge, desert rock and heavy psych, the band are/were Cleõphüzz a Canadian outfit haling from Quebec who up until a while ago looked to have a bright and promising future. The Covid pandemic caused a lot of heartache and pain for a lot of people and the effect of its lockdowns and forced isolations hit the music world hard, venues were closed overnight, gigs got cancelled and musicians, who needed to play with other musicians in order to make music, were restricted from doing so, some bands/artists chose to cross their fingers and sit things out but for some it was all too much and this was the case with Cleõphüzz. "Mystic Vulture" is the bands parting gift to us, an album that is the final legacy of a band who may have well gone on to greater things if not for a virus called Covid-19

 "Mystic Vulture" is an album Desert Psychlist expects to see gracing many of those much loved end of year lists, not out of sympathy or some misplaced loyalty to a band we all had high hopes for but simply because it is a truly SUPERB album. Canada is not a country known for its deserts, or for that matter its vultures, yet despite this Cleõphüzz have somehow captured the feel of that environment. The ironically titled intro "The End" with its strings and reverberating guitar tones has the vibe of an Ennio Morricone soundtrack, close your eyes and you can almost feel the heat on your face, see the snakes sidewinding their way across the dunes and the scorpions scuttling for the safety of the rocks. The appropriately named "Desert Rider" follows, a gnarly riffed fuzz drenched opus boasting a Kyuss flavoured hard/desert rock groove decorated with a gritty lead vocal backed up by a serene counter melody. Next track "Sortilëdge" begins with an achingly beautiful cello motif that is then joined by the rest of the band in what is essentially a heavy psych instrumental but due to its spiralling intensity feels like so much more. "Desperado" follows, a shape shifting, slow building behemoth that employs everything from Hawkwind-esque swirls to bluesy orchestral swells, its brief vocal passages delivered in clean melodic and suitably hazy tones. So far Cleõphüzz desert flavoured grooves have had a somewhat  North American bias but "Sarcophage" sees the band casting their gaze towards the deserts of North Africa and the Middle-East, eastern motifs are legion throughout this enthralling instrumental and the musicianship on display here is on another level.  "When the Siren Blows" is up next and is a much more gnarled and raucous affair, the guitars tones here are darker and fuzzier and a touch more caustic a feel mirrored in the songs vocals which are delivered with a ragged throatiness. Tile track "Mystic Vulture". rightly or wrongly. reminded us of All Them Witches, not so much in sound but in the way this song is constructed, the band building the song up one layer at a time, the music slowly moving towards a crescendo only to be pulled back at the last minute to start the process all over again. Final song " Sundown in the Afterlife" is an uplifting instrumental built around a circular groove that every now and then erupts into gnarliness only to fall back in on itself again only deviating from this path as it reaches its climax whereby an element of bluesy melancholy enters into the equation., stunning stuff!  

Cleõphüzz, Joe (lead guitar/vocals); Alex (rhythm guitar/noise); Carolune (cello/sitar); Freink (bass) and Josh (drums), as a band may be no more but they have left us with a thing of real beauty in "Mystic Vulture". Cleõphüzz have not gone out with a whimper, like so many bands before them, they have walked into the sunset guns blazing and their hats cocked at a jaunty angle.

Check 'em out .... 

© 2023 Frazer Jones

OKKTLI ~ OKKTLI .... review

Once again Desert Psychlist has to bow down to fellow Doom Chart's contributor, and the brains behind SUNDAY'S HEAVY TUNES, Mel Lie for pointing us towards the subject of this review, Mel has a knack for sorting the wheat from the chaff when it comes to new music so when she posted up a recommendation for a debut album from a Mexican outfit called Okktli on her social media we were of course all over it. The Mexico City quartet Mel recommended so highly jam a groove that sits somewhere between bluesy occult rock and acid tinted proto-doom, a groove decorated in vocals that are rich in texture and powerful in execution as you will no doubt find out when you give their self-titled debut album "OKKTLI" a spin. 

Many bands ploughing a furrow in the fields of doom and occult rock make the mistake of decorating their grooves in harsh, demonic styled tones in order to make them feel more menacing, sinister and evil but evil, by its very nature, is something seductive and insidious, the Satan that supposedly appeared at the crossroads to legendary bluesman Robert Johnson would not have come spitting and snarling like some demon from a Hollywood horror movie, he would probably have spoken in a combination of engaging and alluring tones, otherwise Mr. Johnson would have been straight out of there. It's in these enticing tones that Alfonso Brito Lopez (vocals/rhythm guitar) sings the albums tales of  melancholy and despair, his voice possessing a deep velvety gravitas in the lower register and at the higher end displaying a powerful gritty, almost Dio-esque, timbre. Lopez's extraordinary rich vocals and crunching chords, combined with bassist Israel Oñate's meaty low end riffs and runs, drummer Mauricio Hernández's swinging beats and frenetic fills and guitarist César Gama's scorching blues tinted lead work, are what elevates this band from being just another bunch of Black Sabbath wannabees to something else entirely. Having said this there are many Sabbathian moments to be found nestled away on "OKKTLI", especially on final track "Our Hope Is Gone" which along its way unashamedly lifts a whole section from a well known Sabbath classic (we won't spoil it by telling you which one), but other than that "The Shamen", "Mayahuel" and "Deny" are all products of the bands collective imagination, bluesy doomic tomes that are as alluring as they are sinister and dark.

"OKKTLI" is a dark, delicious slice of doom/occult rock from a band who know a thing about flow and dynamics, it is not perfect by any means, very few debuts are, but what faults it does have are few and barely noticeable. Mexico has given us some great bands over the years, Vinnum Sabbathi, Spacegoat, Comanchet and Crimson Trip have all made their mark on the international scene, with this release Okktli could well be adding their name to that list.

Check 'em out. .......

 

© 2023 Frazer Jones

CLOUDS TASTE SATANIC ~ TALES OF DEMONIC POSSESSION ...review

If you are veteran of the underground rock/metal scene you will already be familiar with New York's Clouds Taste Satanic, if you are not then you have sadly been missing out. Clouds Taste Satanic are the instrumental doom band other instrumental doom based outfits aspire to be, a band who know their way around a few good riffs and rhythms but also know how to augment those riffs and rhythms with a plethora of dynamic variables and subtle shades and textures. The band, Steve Scavuzzo (guitar);.Brian Bauhs (guitar); Greg Acampora (drums) and Rob Halstead (bass), have just recently released "Tales Of Demonic Possession" (Majestic Mountain Records) the latest in a long line of consistently high quality, and well received, releases that has made them one of the go to band for scintillating instrumental heaviness.

The tracks that populate "Tales Of Demonic Possession" are huge sprawling affairs, which if you follow the band you will know is the norm for CTS, this is a band for whom a three minute song is an impossibility, a band who like to paint their musical portraits on a far broader canvas. First up is the 18 minutes plus "Flames and Demon Drummers" a song that begins life soothing and serene but then takes so many twists and turns along its way its becomes hard to know if you are listening to the same song you, not so long ago, dropped the needle on, and this is true of all four of the albums songs. Some of those twists and turns CTS take on "Tales of Demonic Possession" can be seen coming and are flowed into with subtlety and finesse but others burst out on you like a deranged alien face-hugger, unexpected and startling. Meandering is a word not in the CTS vocabulary, you will not find this band jamming endlessly on a groove or noodling just for the sake of noodling, they are a band always looking for that next avenue to explore, that next musical horizon to conquer, there are no constants to be found on this album, "Flames and Demon Drummers", "Sun Death Ritual", "Spirits of the Green Desert" and "Conjuring the Dark Rider" are almost like living breathing entities, untamed and unpredictable liable to lick your hand one minute the next rip your arm off. 

The musicianship throughout "Tales Of Demonic Possession" is absolutely jaw dropping, the guitar solo's soar, scream and screech, the bass lines growl and boom and the drumming is a scintillating blend of feral power and light handed restraint. Clouds Taste Satanic are not just a band at the top of their game they are a band ABOVE the game looking down and showing others how instrumental music should be done.

Check 'em out ..... 

© 2023 Frazer Jones

ULTRA VOID ~ MOTHER OF DOOM ...... review

Some of you may remember reading Desert Psychlist's short blurb on the Doom Charts for a self titled album from a New York band going by the name of Ultra Void back in 2021, well a lot has happened since we wrote that blurb, the most significant being Ultra Void's transition from being a band to becoming a one man project. Ultra Void are now, to all intents and purposes, a solo vehicle, a vehicle multi-instrumentalist, and remaining member, Jihef Garnero is free to steer in whatever direction he feels best suit his musical visions... and judging by Ultra Void's new album "Mother of Doom" we are in for quite a ride.

Opening/title track "Mother Of Doom" begins life as you would expect a song with such a title to begin, thick reverberating riffs, pounding percussion, swirling guitar textures and low growling bass are all present in the songs initial stages, the only thing a little different at this point being the inclusion of some orgasmic moaning. Things start to take a turn for the off -kilter at about a quarter of the way in when  Garnero's semi-guttural vocals join the fray and the songs takes on an almost drone-like industrial groove, still very doomic in feel but a doom well outside the remit of epic, traditional or any other dooms you might care to mention. "Sic Mundus Creatus Est" follows and again we find ourselves in doom country but with that doom tinted with bluesy brushstrokes and vocal tones alternating between harsh, guttural and clean, the real genius though is the brief, but oh so effective, insertion of a piano which will leave those brought up listening to pianist Mike Garson's contributions to Bowie's "Aladdin Sane" drooling. "Måntår" sees Garnero donning his headband and kaftan and heading off into the land of purple trees and multi-coloured sunsets, yes folks we are talking heavy psych here, a place where guitar solo's go on for ever and the grooves lift you three foot off the ground. "Squares & Circles" brings us back down to earth with what is essentially Ultra Void's version of a stoner rock boogie, fuzz drenched and crunchy guitar tones, thick bottom end and tight percussion supporting a grizzled vocal you can't help but sing along with. Final number "Special K" finds Ultra Void/Garnero signing off  with an old school flavoured desert rock romp, its furious pace and the tone of its guitars causing speculation that the "K" in the songs title might possibly be a doff of the cap to Kyuss, whether it is or not it is nevertheless a great way to bring things to a close.

Ultra Void's debut album "Ultra Void" was anything but straightforward, it was an album that defied genre classification, its music employed elements of doom, sludge and and other metals but then would confuse matters by throwing into the mix funk, blues and even some shock rock type theatrical colouration, it was a twisted and contorted take on metal that once heard could not be forgotten. Those that invested time and money on "Ultra Void" will be pleased to know that new album "Mother Of Doom" retains much of the essence of that first album except under Garnero's sole stewardship those twists seem much more twisted, those contortions a touch more contorted. 

Check it out .....

© 2023 Frazer Jones

HAIL THE VOID ~ MEMENTO MORI ...... review

Already carrying a Doomed & Stoned award for best debut album under their collective arms for their 2020 self titled album the next logical step for British Columbia's Hail the Void was to sign with Ripple Music, the world's best underground rock label. Hail the Void's mind-blowing melding of hard/classic rock, psych and metal combined with Ripple's knack for promotion and distribution is a match made in heaven, a coming together that if there is any justice in the world should see Hail the Void's stunning second album, "Memento Mori" securing itself a place on the end of year lists of all those with a love of quality heavy music.

Kirin Gudmundson (vocals/guitar), Dean Gustin (bass) and Lucas McKinnon (drums) have gone above and beyond with their latest release "Memento Mori", they promised much with their self-titled debut, "Hail the Void", and delivered on most of that promise, but what they have brought to the table with this, their second release, is on a whole other level. From the eerie droning white noise of the intro "Mind Undone" through to the wearied and funereal paced final track "The Void" there is not a note, beat or vocal inflection you will want to miss or be distracted from, this is an album that makes any skip function you may have on your listening devices totally redundant. Gudmundson's vocals throughout the album are astonishing, he wails, he croons he roars and he snarls and when he screams, on "Talking To the Dead" the line "when you were alone I bought and sold the world" he sings it with such conviction it's hard not to believe him. Gudmundson is no shrinking violet on guitar either his lead work soars and swoops, his chords crunch and crackle and his arpeggios glisten and ring. Gudmundson's vocals and guitar work is ably supported by Gustin and McKinnon, the formers bass work a blend of feral growl and dark liquidity, the latter's drumming a masterclass of restraint and power. Conceptually "Memento Mori" explores the long crawl we all make each day towards our final destination and the effect it can have on our mental wellbeing with lines like "did you believe what your father told you, this solemn life is not the end" ("Writing on the Wall") and "I'll wait till they call me by my name" (" Goldwater") reflecting our struggle with accepting the inevitable. Given the subject matter you might find yourselves being fooled into thinking "Memento Mori" to be a gloomy and desolate affair and in some respects you would be right but you would also be wrong, granted there is an underlying gloominess to be found here but at the end of the day this is music situated at the doom end of the metal spectrum so a certain amount of gloominess should be expected, however for every low slung chord progression there is a soaring solo to counter it, for every thunderous tom there is a shimmering cymbal, for every growling bass run there is a flowing liquid motif, in other words this is an album where the lows are almost subterranean and the highs tower away into the clouds.

So we have bigged up the bands music, and the label that is it's platform, but is "Memento Mori" really as good as our review suggests or are we just blowing smoke up both the band and labels asses just to score brownie points.. Well the answer is both yes and no, YES "Memento Mori" is as good, if not better than, our review suggests and NO Desert Psychlist is not pandering to either artist or label for altruistic gain, this album really is SPECIAL and worthy of all the praise bound to come its way.
Check it out .....

© 2023 Frazer Jones

CRYPTIC WITCH ~ SUMMONING .... review

Cryptic Witch (not to be confused with German instrumental stoner outfit Crypt Witch) have been on Desert Psychlist's radar ever since hearing their 2022 release "Demos: Live From Studio 3" in the April of the same year, the band then released a couple of tantalising singles on Bandcamp but to our dismay there was no mention of a forthcoming "official" album. A few days ago, and with hardly any fanfare, that album finally did materialise and, despite containing all but one of the songs that appeared on the bands demo release, it is, to use an old English superlative, an absolute corker. So without further ado let us welcome you to the " Summoning".

One look at this album's artwork will tell you that this is not a collection of tunes with jangly chiming guitar tones decorated with lyrics bemoaning an unrequited love, no the artwork gracing "Summoning" promises dark dank RIFFS, and what the artwork promises is exactly what Cryptic Witch deliver. The band, Tommy Murello (guitar/vocals); Eli Klopotek (bass/vocals) and Conor Amanatullah (drums), have put together an album that compliments its occult themed artwork with music very much in the same vein, a dark, dank music oozing atmosphere and not a little menace.  That atmosphere and menace no more makes its presence felt than on opening number/title track "Summoning", Klopotek's bass working in tandem with Amanatullah's drums to create a groove that if it were any meatier would come served on a plate with Murello supplying the guitar parts, which are a mix of low crunching riffs and soaring blues tinted solos.  The guitarist also doubles up on lead vocals which are filtered through a distortion pedal to give them the feel of being sung through a loudspeaker/megaphone, a trick originally employed to counter Murello's lack of self confidence behind a microphone but one that has ultimately given the band an edge they might well have lacked had those vocals been delivered straight and unadorned. Up next is "Spacewalk" an instrumental mix of heavy psych an low slung proto flavoured doom into which Murello slings a series of guitar solo's each distinctly different from one another in both tone and execution. Next up is the song from which the band took their name, "Cryptic Witch" is yet another vocal free opus only this time with an almost industrial backbeat, that is up until just over the halfway mark when Amanatullah breaks into a drum pattern reminiscent of Issac Hayes' "Theme from Shaft" and the song flies to its close on a fractured heavy stoner groove. "Domina Mortis" is the albums third instrumental in a row, well we say instrumental as there are the occasional guttural oooh's and aaah's , either way this is a song that dooms and dooms HARD! The vocals return for "White Horse" and once again they are delivered disembodied and distorted, for this particular number Cryptic Witch look to the roots of doom for inspiration and when we say roots of doom of course we mean Black Sabbath, not so much musically but more in the feel of the piece. Penultimate track "Green Sun" finds Cryptic Witch scratching their Kyuss itch, and scratching it quite impressively, while final number, "Eclipse", sees the band stretching out on another instrumental, this one though boasting a plethora of scintillating curve ball moments where the band seem to be throwing caution to the wind and just letting the music dictate its own path.

"Summoning" is a stunning album in all its aspects, its instrumentals are not just riffs and solos they have texture. depth and colour, it's vocalised numbers, although heavily filtered, are ear catching and melodic and its overall groove is an enthralling blend of heavily psyched up doom and swaggering old school desert rock, in fact there is not a lot not to like about this little diamond in the rough.

Check it out ..... 

© 2023 Frazer Jones