CLOUDS TASTE SATANIC ~ THE GLITTER OF INFINITE HELL ....review

Not many doom bands can pull off instrumental music, doom just by it's very nature is a genre defined by its lyrical tales of despair and desolation married to repetitious riffage and incessant plodding rhythms and is not the sort of sound that easily lends itself to vocal-less soundscapes.
Brooklyn's Clouds Taste Satanic, however. have built a career doing just that, the band releasing three albums of crushing psych laced instrumental doom, "To Sleep Beyond The Earth"(2014), "Your Doom Has Come"(2015) and "Dawn of the Satanic Age" (2016), along the way. The band return this year with another collection of mind blowing slow, low and heavy instrumental grooves flying under the collective title "The Glitter of Infinite Hell" (due for release 31st October 2017)

"The Glitter of Infinite Hell" consists of four one word titled songs, a list of deadly sins for a new age, that begins with "Greed" a song that opens with slow deliberate riffage reverberating over heavy pounding percussion enhanced by soaring guitar colouring that is reminiscent, to this listeners ears, of the opening bars to, 70's prog giants, ELP's "Knife-Edge" albeit considerably slower and a lot more menacing. The song then wends and winds its way along dark musical paths holding the listeners attention by shifting through a variety of differing dynamics and musical colourings, its core base of doom drenched riffage enhanced by soaring, tasteful guitar solo's, before resuming its initial refrain to take things to a close. "Treachery" follows and begins with a low slow bass line  played over  tinkling, shimmering percussion that is slowly joined by the bands two guitarists, the four musicians combining to take the song on a myriad of ever shifting crunching doom drenched and psychedelic tinted tangents before finally finishing in a deliriously superb, and frankly quite surprising, blues groove. "Violence" rears its head next and like its title suggests is an epic tome informed by pummelling percussion and vicious refrains but also by moments of simmering moody ambiance that perfectly reflect both musically and dynamically the emotional ebb and flow of its subject matter. "Wrath" closes the album and finds Clouds Taste Satanic in classic stoner doom mode jamming a crunching mid-paced groove replete with scorching heavily effected guitar solo's, the band coming across in places like Sleep on acid. As shown on previous tracks Clouds Taste Satanic are not a band to allow one riff to dictate a groove and so mix things up a little with clever uses of dynamics and time signatures to add an extra level of depth and intensity to grooves that it has to be said are already quite deep and intense to begin with.

If album cover artwork is a reflection of the music contained therein then Clouds Taste Satanic's choice of an Hieronymus Bosh inspired painting by an uncredited artist for "The Glitter of Infinite Hell" is a masterstroke and one that speaks volumes about what lies inside. Doom both musically. lyrically and visually has long been associated with themes inspired by the darker side of the religious spectrum but these themes have often been found to have an almost cartoonish, even at times comedic feel to them, a feeling that the bands in question are just playing with those themes, however this is not the case with Clouds Taste Satanic. There is a feeling, while listening to the four instrumental songs that make up the album, that if Clouds Taste Satanic were to add vocals to their huge musical tomes then the lyrics for those vocals would be some of the darkest, most thought provoking and disturbing ever committed to tape however until/if that time ever arrives you can just... check out the jams....

© 2017 Frazer Jones

HOUND ~ BORN UNDER 76 ... review

Desert Psychlist sometimes wonders what those men and women, ripped from their homelands and forced to work under the yoke of slavery, would make of the way their simple songs, sang to alleviate their burdens, have evolved into that which we now call the blues, especially when they found those songs had been adopted by long haired and bearded white men, electrified,swamped in swathes of fuzz and played at ear-splitting volumes like those delivered by Philadelphia's Hound on their new album "Born Under 76" (Let's Pretend Records)

Hound, Perry Shall (guitar/vocals), Chris Wilson (drums) and Pat Hickey (bass), are not your archetypical blues rock band, for a start there is just a hint of punky aggression and attitude to be found within their grooves along with large doses of desert/stoner gritty fuzz and distortion. Hound's approach to the blues comes from a slightly left of field position, a position not dissimilar to that taken back in the day by cult 70's bluesters The Groundhogs, in fact it is not unfair to say there are times, while listening to the twelve tracks that make up "Born Under 76", that the casual listener might be fooled into thinking he/she is actually listening to a present day version of that band such are the musical and vocal similarities. Perry Shall's vocals, on songs like "Eyes In The Dark", "Demon Eyes" and "Best Wishes", have a more than a essence of "The 'Hogs" Tony McPhee's vocal inflections and tones about them especially when they are combined with his slightly phased and spacey guitar tones. Hound are not all about one man however and Wilson and Hickey support Shall's vocals and guitar with a dazzling array of rhythmic grooves, Hickey filling in the spaces left by Shall's vocals and guitar with big grumbling bass lines while Wilson holds down his end with tight powerful displays of industrious percussive might, the pair forming the perfect frame for Shall's vocal and six-string portraits.

Although the blues, in one shape or another, inform most of the songs on "Born Under 76" it would be wrong to suggest this is a "blues" album, on songs like "Two Horns" and the punky "Bad One" the band step momentarily outside of their delta drenched comfort zones and jump into harder more aggressive territories showing that when the song calls for it they are quite capable and willing to mix it up and are not just one trick ponies.
Check it out .....


© 2017 Frazer Jones

MOJO WIZARD ~ THE MYSTIC PEEPHOLE ... review

The late 60's early 70's was a time of change musically, a time when the youth of the day were discovering new found freedoms both culturally and sexually with those freedoms reflected in the music they chose to both listen to and play. These early experimentations with sound, accelerated by the newer technology of big powerful amplifiers and signal altering effect pedals, has to a large extent coloured everything we listen to today especially within the undergrounds burgeoning doom,stoner and psych scenes where "retro" is not seen as a dirty word but as a badge of honour.
Quebec's Mojo Wizard have no bones about declaring their allegiances to the past the Canadian four piece describing their sound as "heavy and intoxicating rock that brings back to life the era of jean coats and rolled cigarettes", whether that description exactly nails what Mojo Wizard brings to the table you will have to decide for yourself by giving the bands new album "The Mystic Peephole" a listen.

Mojo Wizard, Rico Desjardins (vocals & keys), Guillaume Couture (bass). Maxime Lussier (percussion) and Karim M'sallem (guitar), have with "The Mystic Peephole" created an album that takes all those good vibrations from the past and merges them with all that is currently rocking the boat of the rock's underground scene today, blending the resulting mix in such a way as to retain a certain level of "old school" familiarity yet at the same time a feeling of  modern freshness and innovation. Bluesy psychedelic grooves served up with a large helping of stoner/desert fuzz was the name of the game with Mojo Wizard's first release "EP", the four Canadians jamming a sound informed by swirling guitar solo's, crunching riffage and tight rhythmic patterns but with "The Mystic Peephole" the band have shifted their focus towards a more expansive sound, bringing in keyboards to not only fill out their sound but to also add an element of lysergic spaciousness to their grooves. Songs like " Euphoria", with it's trippy intro segueing into a grizzled stonerized blues groove and "Pheromone Mist", with it's early psych vibe, head spinning lyrics and scorching guitar screaming finale, are fleshed out by swathes of cleverly placed keyboard texturing that lift the songs, already impressive grooves, from being good to bordering on being outstanding. Mojo Wizard show they can also get down and dirty too as on the spacey doom-lite opener "Move" and the fuzz drenched rocker "Are You Satisfied", the band proving not only can they take off on acid hued flights of fancy but they can rock out with the best of them also.  Factor into these musical equations Desjardins clean, distinctive vocal tones, Couture's gnawing,growling bass lines, Lussier's mix of rock solid tight and jazzy laid back percussion, M'sallem's swirling lysergic solo's and fuzz drenched riffs and you arrive at a sound that although rooted in the psychedelic blues and hard rock of the past has more than a firm grip on the grooves of the present and maybe even those of the future.
Check 'em out ....

© 2017 Frazer Jones

YEAR OF THE COBRA ~ BURN YOUR DEAD ... review

Year of the Cobra, Amy Tung (bass, vocals.keys) and Jon Barrysmith (drums), seemed to be everywhere all at once after the release of their debut album "...In The Shadows Below", the duo garnering favourable mentions and praise in both the mainstreams music magazines and the web's underground press. This level of appreciation was achieved not by being in the right place at the right time but by a combination of sheer hard work, hauling their asses around the club circuits getting a reputation as a must see live act,  and having a sound and groove that appealed to both those lovers of the gnarly riff and those that appreciate a good melody alike. Amy and Jon return this year with another offering of riffs and melody with their latest release "Burn Your Dead"  (Magnetic Eye Records).

First offering "Cold" starts with Tung laying down a low, slow heavily distorted bass line accompanied by Barrysmith's percussion, the drummer keeping things economic but solid, laying out when Tung enters with her vocals. on the verses, supporting her with a heavier touch on the chorus. Tung's vocals are sublime, her slightly sweet, slightly ethereal tones although not having the bluesy power of say Holy Grove's Andrea Vidal nonetheless have a strength and clarity perfectly suited to the grooves set around them. "The Descent" follows, Tung introducing the song with a warm clean jazzy bass motif before Barrysmith's drums crash in and the song takes off into mid-tempo soulful territory with Tung singing of  "putting one foot in front of the other"  and telling us "don't look back" over a backdrop of sensual undulating groove. "Burn Your Dead" explodes from the speakers with Tung and Barrysmith hitting a strident stoner/punk rock groove that recalls the early days of Fu Manchu and Nebula and briefly visits doomier climes mid-song before once again hitting the safety pin and ripped t-shirts trail to take things to a close. "The Howl" finds YOT bringing things back down nearer to earth with a tune that has an edgy space feel thanks, in part, to its phased  bass lines and keyboard effects. Tung tailors her voice perfectly to match the songs groove as she croons, whispers and sings her lyrics but it is the duo's musical interaction that really catches the ear here, Barrysmith's drumming on this track is a masterclass in restraint and release, the drummer knowing when to lay out and when to let loose, his percussive might perfectly matched by Tung's intricate, and at times breathtaking, bass playing. "And They Sang.." closes proceedings and sees YOT continuing the phasey attack of the previous track but this time at higher tempo. Tung's vocals taking on an aggressive almost sneering tone that perfectly compliments the songs 100mph drum and bass onslaught.

On the strength of the five songs to be found and enjoyed on "Burn Your Dead" Desert Psychlist predicts another busy and successful year ahead for Year of the Cobra  ....and then the one after that, and the one after that, and the........
Check it out here.

© 2017 Frazer Jones                                                                                                                                   

REPTILIAN ILLUMINATI ~ DARK/LIGHT .... review

The Free Dictionary defines the word "sound bite" as "a short audio or video clip taken from a speech or press conference and broadcast", this definition can be extended to movie clips, and even snippets of music and is a trick long been used by artists and bands in the underground rock scene to furnish their songs with an added level of interest and impact. Australian prog-doom instrumentalists Reptilian Illuminati have taken this little trick a step further with their album "Dark/Light", the quintet from Melbourne, Matthew Brennan (guitar), Terry Pietrosanto  (guitar), Dean Astrella (guitar), Dexter Karpe (bass), and Matty Innes (drums), have taken those sound bites and weaved them into and around their dark grooves of progressive doom not only to furnish those grooves but also to document their story. 

"Dark/Light" is a conceptual album exploring the phenomenon of UFO's and the mystery that surrounds them by integrating into swirling, sometimes brutal, sometimes gentle and ambient, grooves of complex and intricate progressive doom metal snippets lifted from documentaries, news reports and interviews, using them not, as is often the case, as an introduction to a song but as part of that song. Each song on "Dark/Light" refers to an incident, sighting involving a UFO encounter, songs with titles like "Roswell N.M. 1947", "Rendlesham Forest" and "Ruwa, Zimbabwe" are, along with swathes of crunching riffage, subtle arpeggios, searing solo's and a diverse array of bass and drum groove, filled with eye witness accounts and reports concerning those incidents weaved cleverly into the heart of those songs. Instrumental music can often alienate listeners used to having a screaming front man at the helm but Reptilian Illuminati's use of these samples/snippets/bites within the structures of their tunes, instead of at the start or finish, manages to alleviate that need for a vocalist and makes for a more complete and satisfying instrumental experience.

Check it out ..... 

© 2017 Frazer Jones

HELA ~ DEATH MAY DIE ... review

Conceptual albums these days can be a tricky thing to get right, artists want/need to tell their stories via songs connected to each other by a theme but at the same time a band needs those songs to stand up in their own right, especially in today's digital age where music buyers can purchase the tracks they like and leave those they don't.  It's a brave move by any band these days to attempt to release a conceptual album but when it's done right it can be a beautiful thing.
Spanish groovsters Hela, Mireia Porto (vocals and guitars), Julián Velasco (guitars and fx),  Tano Giménez (bass) and Miguel Fernandez (drums), are one band unafraid to tackle the minefield of the concept album and with new album "Death May Die"(Discos Macarras Records for CD's/ Lay Bare Recordings for Vinyl), a tale of one girls struggle against all odds to find and be herself, they have found a perfect balance between songs that can work thematically and also work independently of that theme.

"The Gateway" opens "Death May Die", an ominous low, slow doom groove with demonic breathy vocals growling beneath a foreground of pounding percussion, grizzled bass and sinister circular riffage which is swiftly followed by "Mother of Monsters" a song that although rooted very much in the occult/doom/stoner metal genre has a thread of alt/grunge dynamics running through its veins and is the albums first track to feature Mireia Porto's vocal tones. Porto brings a different aesthetic to Hela's sound than her predecessor Isabel Sierras, a little less ethereal, a little darker around the edges but just as powerful, her voice and guitar playing a perfect fit for the slightly more progressive doom grooves that she Velasco, Giménez and Fernandez are presently experimenting with. This is never more evident than on next track "Touched By Evil" a song that finds Porto wailing banshee-like melodies over a backdrop of constantly shifting groove, Fernandez and Giménez combining to lay down a plethora of diverse rhythms and growling bass lines for Velasco and Porto to weave their six string magic around with the former ripping some scintillating lead work from his strings and fretboard. "Dark Passage" finds Hela toying with post-rock textures and alt-rock dynamics around what must be Porto's best vocal performance on the album, the guitarist/vocalist stretching her vocal chords to their limit and in doing so adding a gritty edge to her tone giving the songs dark progressive and metallic grooves an added level of power and emotion. "Repulsion" has the band mixing it up musically between moments of crushing brutality and moments of quiet reflection with Porto's sweetly sang mantra of "walking with my head down", in the songs more tranquil section, a complete contrast to her more forceful aggressive tones elsewhere.
"Bodies In Hell" brings "Death May To Die" to a close  with a song that sees Hela really embracing those progressive metal elements that have been threatening to break out on previous tracks. Velasco and Porto between them lay down a swathe of exotic tinted riffs, fills and solo's over a tumultuous array of rhythm'n'groove, expertly laid down by Fernandez and Giménez, with Porto mixing up her vocals accordingly, even getting a little growly and grizzly in the songs closing moments.

Hela were always a good band but with the addition of Porto on second guitar and vocals they have evolved into a great band and "Death May Die" with it's darker edges, progressive leanings and conceptual theme stands as a fitting testament to that evolution.
Check it out ....

© 2017 Frazer Jones

TUNA DE TIERRA ~ TUNA DE TIERRA ... review

When reviewing Tuna de Tierra's "EPisode I Pilot" back in August 2015 Desert Psychlist made the observation that the Italian trio from Napoli existed in a hinterland between the riff heavy fuzz of the likes of Fu Manchu and Kyuss and the more experimental stoner/psych of the likes of Sungrazer and Colour Haze, well the band, Alessio De Cicco (guitar, vocals), Luciano Mirra (bass guitar) return this year with a new drummer, Marco Mancaniello, and a new full length album, "Tuna de Tierra" (Argonauta Records), so let's see if those observations still ring true.

As the opening bars of instrumental first track "Slow Burn" ring out from the speakers its fairly obvious that Tuna de Tierra's modus operandi of delivering heavily fuzzed refrains over an array of ever shifting rhythmic groove is still in place, De Cicco's guitar soars like an eagle riding thermals over Mirra's throbbing bass lines and Mancaniello's solid, tight percussion, the resulting sound having an almost Floydian feel to it. Next track "Morning Demon" sees Tuna de Tierra hitting a Colour Haze-ish groove fractured by moments of gnarly fuzz drenched aggression with Mirra's bass the anchor around which De Cicco weaves  a mixture of lysergic guitar textures and crunchimg riffage while at the same time delivering mellow, clean and slightly laid back vocals ably supported from beneath by Mancaniello's sympathetic drumming. "Out of Time" follows and finds De Cicco laying down gentle vocal tones over the top of a circular guitar motif backed by liquid clean bass lines and restrained jazzy percussion. "Long Sabbath's Day"could almost be described as a spiritual and incorporates gospel like handclaps backed by what sounds like a bass string being stroked and tapped with De Cicco crooning and moaning gently over head. "Rise of the Lights" changes the mood by jamming a groove that has an almost indie blues vibe and recalls to this listeners ears the early sound of British alternative/indie blues purveyors Gomez both musically and in its vocal melodies. "Mountain" again sees Tuna de Tierra wandering into Colour Haze territory only this time with a hint of eastern mysticism bubbling just beneath the surface. Mancaniello lays down a restrained but totally effective tribal beat around which Mirra weaves intricate and jazzy bass lines, De Cicco adding subtle textured guitar colouring while gently crooning dreamy, heartfelt vocals. Final song "Laguna" initially keeps things dreamy and lysergic with De Cicco's warm vocals sitting a little lower in the mix but then slowly grows in tempo moving briefly into a heavily psychedelic blues groove before morphing once again and erupting into a fuzz heavy stoner refrain and taking things to a deliciously noisy close.

Heady, trippy and experimental yet at the same time solid, fuzzy and structured "Tuna de Tierra" is an album that delivers on many levels and is one that deserves to be heard by those that like their desert/stoner grooves hard and heavy as well as those who prefer their grooves a little on the loose and lysergic side.
Check it out ....

© 2017 Frazer Jones