Welcome to our planet of fuzz,the planet where we dedicate and pay respect to the latest and best rock, earth just can not handle! If you like your
music fuzzy and dripping in acid,come in and orbit the place where rock has no limitations, just domination. Kick back and enjoy the Journey Into Outer Space!
Heavy Rock from the USA
I've spent a lot of time with the debut release by this Tennessee band. Heavy Eyes seems to capture everything I dig in a rock record. Lots of fuzzy guitars, groovy foot stomping riffs and tons of attitude during its 11 tracks.
Imagine if you will, Brant Bjork, The White Stripes and Fu Manchu all sitting around puffing on a hookah listening to Zeppelin albums, then picking up their gear and just going for it. That's the vibe I get from this impressive slab of rock put forth on here. Plenty of soul and a real sense of honesty is captured during the whole duration of the album.
Seems to be that all these new bands that are opting to put out their music themselves, whether it's through iTunes, bandcamp or whatever file hosting website they choose is really making things interesting. The production on the album is stellar and really has a live jammy feeling to it. Maybe being mixed and mastered in the city where rock and roll started with Elvis in Memphis has something to do with it. Some of that voodoo may be rubbing off here. The band has posted on their bandcamp page: "We hope this album melts your speakers". I'd say...mission accomplished!
Heavy Rock from the UK
Grifter - Good Day for Bad News
Grifter fires on all cylinders on their new self-titled album. Full of hooky boogie rock, soulful and sincere vocals, and boasting a mammoth sounding production. Having a couple EP's under their belt, the time is right to finally show the world that Grifter means business, with their first full length album.
Right from the get-go, this UK based trio comes out swinging, and pummels your ear hole with a barrage of bluesy riffs and booty shaking time signatures. Taking the usual influences of bands like KISS, AC/DC and Motörhead and brewing them up with the more modern soundings of Clutch and Corrosion of Conformity, is really nothing new you might be thinking, but these guys do it better and with more finesse then most of the bands out there.
Sounding dirty and raucous, this is the perfect soundtrack to a night of debauchery. I can imagine walking into any random strip club with this blasting out of the speakers or just chillin' with some friends at a bbq. Either way you slice it, this is party music and has that certain something that will keep you coming back for repeat listens. Thanks to the fine folks over at Ripple Music for stamping this to plastic. Look for an October 4th release for this album of sonic majesty, both digitally and on CD. Cheers!
Heavy Rock from Italy
Black Capricorn - 10,000 Tons of Lava
Black Capricorn is a fairly new band coming out of Sardinia, Italy. Having recorded their self-titled release back in 2009, and falling below the radar for a couple years, it's finally been stamped on CD by the good folks over at 12th Records (High on Fire, Yob and Ocean Chief).
Black Capricorn takes the slow and low approach with their doom. Weaving 70's lo-fi occult worship (Electric Wizard comes to mind right away) with fuzz-drenched, drop-tuned guitars. Clean, slightly distorted, low-register vocals are in order for most of the album as well. However, they ebb and flow well with the dark macabre tone of the disc to a tee.
Some of the highlights on the debut are "Il Tamburo Del Demonio" and "1000 Tons of Lava", with their Kyuss-like riffs, unexpected time changes and creepy, psychedelic sound effects, really grab the listeners' attention and keep it. "The Maelmhaedhoc O'Morgair Prophecy", with subject matter that deals with the Catholic Church and the end of the world. Strange chanting and hypnotizing, droning riffs. It comes across like an equivalent to watching an old, black and white horror movie that you don't understand, but can't take your eyes from.
Black Capricorn really has something to offer here, and although not a landmark album, it really shows a good start to something. I can see this band really blowing some minds if they can keep it together long enough to encapsulate a 2nd recording.
Interview by Adam Walsh Hello Pacior and thank you for your time. The new album is called "Sorry Eye", what's motivation behind that title?
Album is titled after one of the songs. It's not a common phrase, it's just a combination of words that somehow correspond to the lyrics in that tune - a piece about a despised guy, that everyone feels sorry for. We found it to be unusual enough for an album name.
You guys have a lot of different influences apparent in your music, what bands inspire you, old and new?
It's hard to pick just a few of them, really. Kyuss is an obvious choice, and all the stuff they did separately, after splitting up. Stoner/fuzz rock scene, bands like Fu Manchu, Dozer, Clutch and so on. Some late 80's/ early 90's alternative rock, like The Afghan Whigs, Helmet, Sonic Youth, Melvins, 16 Horsepower. Older bands like Budgie (amazing riffs and my personal favourite 70's band), Hawkwind.
I don't hear much music coming out of Poland, what bands have you shared the stage with or should we know about, is there a big scene there?
Well, Poland is mostly associated with heavier stuff, great "big" metal bands like Behemoth, Vader, Decapitated, there's also a very strong post rock/metal scene, but when it comes to stoner, fuzz or rock music in general, we're still pretty much in the underground. But for two or three years now the scene is growing rapidly. We all try to keep in touch, and that's also pretty cool. Some bands that are definetly worth mentioning: Blindead (more post rock and sludge oriented) Psychollywood, Octopussy (Dziablas's other band) Vagitarians, Satellite Beaver, Major Kong, Elvis Deluxe, Luna Negra...to name a few, and we've shared the stage with most of them.
Most embarrassing/worst gig?
Once we've waited too long for our turn to play, and our bass player drank about 6 or 7 beers (in Poland they're twice stronger than in the States) - he was having trouble keeping himself straight, and at one point dropped his bass on the floor. But it was all good, clean fun, and I can't say we were embarrassed back then.
Best gig?
Recently, release party for The Sorry Eye - we've headlined the show,a lot of people came and everyone had a blast. Basically, gigs close to our home town are mostly really great, we have our audience, that we can always count on, sometimes they sing the lyrics with us. It feels good.
The track "Pull in Like a Black Hole" off of the first EP is one of my favorite tunes. What was the inspiration behind that song/writing process, or the process you guys use for all of your song writing?
Thanks! When we wrote songs that ended up on the EP, we mostly worked on the riffs and vocals individually at home. Then we brushed it up in our rehearsal space, and arranged it together. When it comes to "Pull In...", I remember that Dziablas came up with the bass riff first, but we couldn't take it any further for a long time. One day I was just improvising stuff over that part, and accidently grabbed a slide. I recorded my part over the bass line, and it basically inspired Dziablas to write the chorus and verses for the song, in one evening.
We took a different approach with "The Sorry Eye", one night we just jammed a lot, and recorded everything, and then we took the best parts out of our jams and turned it into songs. 90% of the album was written together in our rehearsal space.
How long did it take to record "The Sorry Eye"?
Recording drums took about 2 days, guitars and bass about 5 days, same as vocals.
"The Sorry Eye" has a real epic feel to it, and the production is top notch. Where was it recorded, and what kind of equipment do you guys use?
Thanks again! We recorded, mixed and mastered it at Sounds Great Promotion studio in Gdynia. Dziablas works there as a recording engineer, and he did all the tracking for the album. We used a "vintage" approach to recording - most of the drum sound comes from just two microphones, we also used some really old mics for recording guitar and bass. We used Gibson Les Paul guitar through 1978 Marshall JMP and Orange Rocker amps, Fender Precision Bass and Premier drumset. Most of the work was done by our friend and owner of the studio, Kikut, who mixed and mastered the album. He used modern pre-amps and consoles, but for mixing he "compressed" all of the separate tracks into just four, and that really made a huge impact on the sound of the album.
A lot of bands from around the world sometimes sing in their mother tongue, is there a reason u choose to sing in English over your native tongue?
That's true - we obviously play for Polish audience, mostly, and sometimes we face the accusations of being "false", by not singing in our mother tongue. I don't agree with that at all. There are several reasons why we sing in English. First of all, we feel that it fits our music best. We treat rock music as a heritage of English and American culture, and English language is a part of that heritage, just like the electric guitar. Playing stoner rock with Polish lyrics would be just weird to us.
Dziablas is quite fluent in English, his foreign accent is not so distinctive, so we think it sounds natural and not forced. We've heard the opinions from native speakers, that he sounds like an American, so that's pretty cool. Hopefully, we can reach out to much bigger audience that way. Maybe someday we'll be in the same league as Dozer or Truckfighters - and I don't think they'd achieve what they did, if they had their lyrics in native Swedish.
If you had one wish what would it be?
To be filthy fucking rich...then we could rent a nightliner and tour Europe and the States, just for fun...
Where do you see yourself(s) in 5 years?
On a USA tour in a nightliner, hopefully. But more realistic, recording our fourth or fifth album, maybe with backup from a good label, and gigging - a lot.
Do you guys make enough to survive playing music, or do you have day jobs? If so, what are they?
Today, when music comes free with an Internet connection, it's really hard to do. Right now we do it only part-time, and we're happy when the band's profits can balance the expenses. We all have day jobs, Dziablas works as a recording engineer and graphic designer, Seba is a sales specialist, and I'm a civil engineer.
Favorite expression/swear words?
Polish is a really beautiful language when it comes to swearing, and a simple "kurwa"(whore) or "jebac"(fuck) can have a lot of different meanings, depending on the context. I don't think I could ever pick just a few of them
Previous bands, members have been in?
Mostly just loose, no-name projects - Broken Betty is our first more serious band.
If you could tour with any band in the world, which would it be?
Tough choice...I'd probably go for the Melvins or Helmet - we idolize them and yet they seem to be very cool and down to earth guys, so it might be fun.
This last position is reserved for you to say anything you'd like to. Rant, rave or vent.
Thanks a lot for the interview, and thanks for taking the time to check us out. We can promise some new material, sooner than you expect, so be sure to keep us on the radar!
Thanks a lot for taking the time to answer these questions; I love the new album. Good luck to you guys!!
I just received this little gem in the mail yesterday, and as I write this review, I'm playing it for the first time to get my immediate thoughts and reactions. For all of you newbie's out there SuperGiant has been laying down the rock for a few years now. With their debut EP back in 2006 and Antares in 2008 (both of which I hold in high regard), now the boys from New Mexico are back in 2011 with their 3rd installment in sonic ear cleansing with the aptly titled "Pistol Star".
The boys here haven't strayed much from the formula of their previous releases much, and why should they? If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right? What you get here is ballsy rock 'n roll, southern fried riffs a plenty with enough testosterone to impregnate any female willing to give it a listen.
Some of the highlights that hit me right away are the tracks "Emotion" which comes out of the gate swinging, with a riff that reminds me a bit of Soundgarden's "Jesus Christ Pose" and has that same kind of intensity, incredibly cool stuff here. The AC/DC meets Led Zeppelin stomp of "Rosey Posey" and "Mexican Radio" which at first glance, I thought was going to be a cover of the old Wall of Voodoo song, but no, rather it's a barnstorming southern rocker with tons of attitude. Then we land on the final track, the title track, "Pistol Star", this song really shines, starts out spacey and chill, then crushes you with a wall of guitars, showing off Joel Rogers's haunting vocal ability at the same time. "Pistol Star" has it all, great musicians playing great music. Don't pass this one up.
The band will celebrate the release of the new record this Saturday, July 9th at Launchpad in downtown Albuquerque, NM. The show will feature new bands HIGH IRON and BLACKENED ROOTS. It’s only $5 to get in the door.
"Colossus" is the title given to Birch Hill Dam's sophomore release, after releasing their self-titled debut back in 2009; they are back and ready to prove themselves against metal's elite.
"Colossus" meaning, something of immense size or power, seems a pretty fitting description to the grooving onslaught put forth on this album. Staying true to their debut, what u get here is more of the same southern-tinged stoner metal, a little doom thrown in for good measure and heaping amount of 70's and 80's rock, akin with bands like Down, Crowbar, Alabama Thunderpussy with a bit of Thin Lizzy and Deep Purple. Like their debut they even throw in a cover on the disc, unlisted on my promo but a huge surprise to my ears. Giving the "Birch Hill" flavor to an old Twisted Sister song, and showing their roots a bit. I love it when bands do that to a familiar tune, and make it their own.
Most of the vocals are clean and harmonious, but every once in awhile letting out a throat-shredding scream isn't out of the question, done with taste, and perfect timing. The production on "Colossus" is a step forward from the debut as well; everything is well balanced and in your face just like any good metal album should be.
Solid from beginning to end, there isn't one negative thing I can say about "Colossus". If u like honest and sincere heavy rock with no bullshit and balls to spare, this could be one of your favorite albums of 2011, if you don't, then why are you reading this? A must have for mine, and anyone's music collection.
Grab a physical copy of the Cd release Colossus with Bonus track, "Burn In Hell" from the Birch Hill Dam Store
Let us consider large calibre for a while, because here is some damn heavy Norwegian timber that beats the drum...
What the hell does svölk means? Even if I'm Swedish (next to Norway) I don't understand a word of it. Anyway, these dudes rock the shit out of any living soul and make a few jumps on the Richter scale without any difficulties! These guys pop out from no(r)w(ay)here and have previously been completely unknown to me, they have simply past my super radar (thanks for the tip Adam!). Well, we all make "mistakes" sometimes;-)
On the self-titled debut album Svölk delivers nine jaw dropping power measurements whose arsenal includes both riff rock (most of it) and old school heavy metal in 42 glowing minutes. Svölk fires their first round '52' and the smell of burning rubber fills the air almost immediately, hold your wig granny and stop banging your walker against the wall, because there is a new bear in town! Imagine that Sunride and Sahg mates with Mannhai and Spiritual Beggars, the outcome would be a little svölkie. This is like 52 times the pain, but it's worth every god damn slap because when these gentlemen hold the stick nothing can go wrong!
The following tracks 'This is it' and Anchor' goes on in the same direction. In other word; you get loads of heaviness and plenty of classy riffs, and the vocals rule! The Norwegian rock armada hammers on with the fourth nugget 'Sweet agony' and once again you get invited to a deafening demonstration which is comparable to bands like Coogan's Bluff, Sasquatch, Gascoine and to some of the heavy southern rock scene. A neat concoction of thrilling riffs and the vocals impresses even here. Simply, Sweet agony is one of the absolute highlights on the album.
After having tasted 52 times the pain on the first gem '52' Svölk are ready to punch you a few times more. On the sixth song '12 times the pain', you get a more "ordinary" rock treatment with less stoner influences and bands like Lamont, Rockzilla and the Glasspack comes to mind. I might "be out hiking in the wrong weather" but that's my definition. Anyway, who cares as long as the amps are burning I am satisfied.
Svölk ends the show with 'Inferno' and 'Dead: 30' which are quite different from the others, here you get the heavy metal flavoured mixture I previously mentioned. These tracks make me think of The Sword and early Iron Maiden. Although I'm not usually into this kind of music the Norwegians still manage to keep my interest alive. The album contains almost no sleeping pills and is mostly a fresh and alert creation of higher rank. Svölk deserve a place among its predecessors Honcho, Pawnshop, El Caco, Sahg etc. and i hope that the journey doesn't end here, and we get the pleasure to hear more from these heavy rock dudes in future... thumbs up Svölk!
Heavy Rock from the USA
Superchief - They Call Me Nomad
In a world dominated by corporate interests and processed popular culture it is hard to find the soul of rebellion in Rock n' Roll. There are battalions of metalheads and rockers throughout the country laying in wait, calm beneath the veneer, primed to explode. The fuse to ignite the devastation is Superchief's latest release. "Corporate Dynamite".
As the name suggests, the album is a call to arms to those that tire of the current state of "Rock n' Roll" in this great land. Like a powder keg Superchief is set to decimate the corporate music landscape with their uncompromising riffage and moxy. The music comes from the soul of the 5 piece from Des Moines, Iowa, and it is evident to the most seasoned advocate of the loud, to the armchair enthusiast. "Corporate Dynamite" is an album that all walks of life can sink their teeth into, and that was not planned in a board room, or in some marketing graduates cubicle... it just happened, like it is supposed to. Superchief wrote the songs they wanted to and recorded them, simple as that. Yet so far beyond simple that the complexity of the battle cry draws the listener in and whispers in their ear, "Go blow up some shit!"
Over the past 3 years Superchief has honed their skills and sharpened their senses. Playing hundreds of shows to crowds throughout the Midwest and growing their fanbase, the band takes the stage with a carefree demeanor, but with the determination of a pugilist. Superchief has built its reputation and foundation on a raucous and beer soaked live show. It is their ability to play their music live, with an evident enthusiasm that wins them new fans. Knowing how important raw live energy can be, Superchief made damn sure that is how their first full length album, "Corporate Dynamite" was captured.
In November of 2010, they entered Sound Farm recording studio to record "Corporate Dynamite". The guys went in, without a click track, without Auto Tune and with the intent that overproduction ruins the true character of a recording, and cranked out 10 songs in one weekend. Focused by determination and several hundred beers Superchief created an album that is infused with the elements of true rebellion and Rock n' Roll swagger. They wanted the little imperfections; the slight tempo variations that a live recording was missing in the majority of new recordings. With the help of engineer, Ryan Martin and of Terranova, they got exactly what they wanted.
The above was included with my copy of "Corporate Dynamite" which I received for review, I chose to include most of it here because I totally agree with what was said, and could not have said it any better myself. "Corporate Dynamite" is the equivalent to going 10 rounds with Tyson... lots of dancing around, double barreled head punches, and in the end, if it doesn't knock you out, it will definitely chew on your ear. by Adam Walsh
Heavy Rock from The Netherlands
The Hollow Men - Throne
Something so similar surrounds this opening bass & drum beat, as the guitar floats in and the words are released it brings me back to the early days in the '90's. One of my favorite times in music. Euphoria starts the release off, and you would be hard pressed not to think it could be a long lost recording from the "grunge" days, like I've heard them before beside an Alice In Chains or a Helmet. Is this a good thing, you bet, two of the better bands from that period.
They pick it up more with Top of the Food Chain, with its smooth guitar-bass mixture, the vocalist pipes, on this song is great, a perfect match for the grind that the song builds through its, almost 6 mins. It's always nice to hear a heavy band with good clean vocals, with solid melodies. It just keeps getting better with Out in the Cold, another heavy grungy song, crunchy catchy cosmic bliss, this baby is one meant for the good old days when people would watch videos on TV to catch the next great up and coming band (no not the Justin Beiber kind either..). I'm not sure if this is The Hollow Men's goal, but I could certainly picture this song getting radio play.
Although Throne may be their "popiest" number, it's certainly not a pop song. With a touch of Screaming Trees (another top band I like), this song just rolls along at a certain slick pace, a groove that doesn't stop. It majestically had me hooked in, head bobbing, and knee bouncing. Another beauty by them. Soldier has a killer riff, it drags you in, and does not let go, and you can't help but feel like you want this song to go on & on. The drums compliment this song so well, allowing the bass & guitar to rip it up, yet keep it structured perfectly. I hear abit of Eddie Vedder in the singing, which compliments this song even more.
This Is Not A Love Song is a straight up balls to the wall rocker. Straight to your heart, it's 2 mins of pure punk power. We end it off with Bleed. Another poppier number, although it's far from being a pop song. I'm almost at a loss to describe it; it's got such a nice roll to it, rocking, yet mellow in its delivery. The singing once again is exceptional, although I'm not sure who is singing here (as both the guitarist & drummer are listed as vocalists).
All in all this is a great release. I was very much surprised how the production, the songs, the lyrics were all well thought out. I'm not sure how well they go over in the Netherlands, but these guys have a great future ahead of them. Although I know it's not every bands dream to get "huge" these guys certainly have the potential. They show no weakness in anything they do on this record. If you're a fan of Alice In Chains, Helmet, Screaming Trees etc... you would do no wrong getting this, and make no mistake, they certainly are not ripping these bands off; they are just building on what these bands left behind. by William Bissonette
HeavyRock from Italy
Void Generator - Message From The Galactic Federation (edit)
Interviewed by Tobias Beament
Tobbe -Hi guys! Can you introduce yourselves? Sonia: Hi all! Well, what may I say? I play bass guitar since I was 12, at the beginning (in the 90s) I tried many genres, especially with post rock and progressive bands, and then, at the end of that decade, I started to improve my experimental side with electronic equipment (Roland JD800 and others). Year by year, I kept listening to German cosmic music as an inner soundtrack for my musical needs, until I reached a clear vision about what I wanted to do with my instrument and music in general. At that point, I founded Void Generator with Gianmarco. GM: Yeah, many years ago Sonia was a keyboardist and a former member of the band. I am guitar teacher here in Italy but I do another 'official' job that I prefer not to mention here, too far from music! I am the guitarist and the vocals too are mine on the last record. Cristiano is the keyboardist and Marco the Drummer, they are far from home at the moment and I am answering in behalf of them as you can see...
Tobbe - When did you start off as a band, and have you had the same members since the start? Sonia: As I've just told, I'm a founder of the group since 1996. GM: There have been many drummers, 4 if I don't get wrong, Marco is the last one since we started many years ago. We even had some guys on bass, well; in short, I am the only one from the beginning. Sonia: At the beginning, there was another keyboardist beside me, his name was Massimo...He played in the first two VG albums.
Tobbe - How many albums have been made so far? GM: Some early compilation, our first eponymous ep (2004 - 4 tracks, almost unavailable), a full length named We Have Found the Space (2006) and our last Phantom Hell and Soar Angelic here reviewed. We are going to appear on an American compilation from 272 Records with our 'classic' Sidereal Connection and more things are to come for the new album. Sonia:I played bass into VG track "God Of The Space" for the first compilation called "Fuori dal Centro" for Fluido Distribuzioni; it was in 1996, then I went away for 10 long years to follow my intellectual carrier and, at the end of this period, there has been our reunion as co-founders in the late 2006, when Gabriele, Maurizio and Massimo split off; the year after, we worked to the musical material that would have formed Phantom Hell And Soar Angelic. The CD, in which I play bass guitar, was published, at least, on May the 6th 2010. Now an EP called Collision is about to be published, with a lot of guest musicians in it... GM: yez, Collision is just a new ep of 2 songs made with a live track and an old recording - something different from the Phantom. We felt something different and wanted to publish that as an independent release. I think we'll do more things this way in the future.
Tobbe - What equipment do you use? GM: A plethora of vintage instruments, from Sunn O))) to Fender, Marshall, Hiwatt and a couple of beasts speakers named Dragoon. Many effects like space echo and old synths like MS-10, surely I am forgetting something. Ah, Gibson guitars, of course. Sonia: I've been using for a long time a Warwick Corvette bass; now I'm playing a 1978 Fender Jazz Bass, with a Fulltone modified bass distortion pedal (USA imported), Ampeg and Sunn O))) amplifier. Cristiano plays Minimoog too.
Tobbe - Have you got good response of the new album? GM: Many very good reviews all over the world, and a good response from the market, radio broadcasting here in Italy, USA and Russia too. Sonia: Silence means wonder: our fans, during the listening of the album, must have pronounced lots of "...!!!"...
Tobbe - I'm curious about one thing. Why is the last track on "phantom hell" hidden/untitled? GM: well, we discussed a lot if we could put it or not on the album so we settled down the question trying to create a sort of surprise; just think about the attack of the song: this is the main reason. We wanted to create an excess all over the Phantom, matey...The title is not so significant as the emotion, the feeling. Sonia:the main declared reason was to destroy every kind of stereo hi fi because of the unexpected guitar/bass/drums explosion at the third minute...
Tobbe - Have you ever played outside of Italy GM: Nope, we had more than a chance but it is difficult because of the low budget many have, and we are not so young anymore...
Tobbe - You are looking for gigs in Europe (or worldwide?) for the moment, any success? Sonia:As Gianmarco told, we received many invitations, maybe in summer...
Tobbe - Are you happy with your record label? Sonia: Of course: it's ours!!! We do what we want in it! We don't have to follow any command by anyone; we freely compose the music we play. There are lots of other musical productions in this project too, check it out at www.phonosphera.com...
Tobbe - Do you pay for the studio costs yourselves, or does your label pay for it? GM: He He! Yes, we have many instruments and collaboration that allows us to drastically reduce costs.
Tobbe - What influences do you have, and what music did you grew up to? GM: Ehm, all the seventies, hard rock, heavy metal, space, prog, electronic, stoner, avant...and so on. Sonia: I grew up with Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze, Can, the polyphonic Mike Oldfield, Pink Floyd, Amon Duul, Genesis...Cosmic, krautrock, electronic, psychedelia and progressive over all. Nowadays, I exercise myself into a meta-analytic style of listening about contemporary classical: my favorite ones are Penderecki, Gorecki, Takemitsu, Part, Berio and, of course, Stockhausen.
Tobbe - Any hobbies (besides the music), families, jobs etc. ? Sonia: I write about poetry, literature and philosophy, studies in which I spent the most of my life. My personal blog is http://criticaimpura.wordpress.com/ . If you want to keep in touch with me and get a look....In my life, I'm a teacher. I love wandering throughout artistic places such as museums and churches and I adore dogs. GM: I am a pusher of...music, this is my hobby...
Tobbe - Is Italy a good country to live in musically or in general? GM: Is still there something for which Italy is fine? let me see...food, sun, then sun, food...and so on. That's all, I think. Sonia: for many reasons, musical, political, social, absolutely NO! My only consolations as an Italian are Caravaggio...And Carlo Emilio Gadda.
Tobbe - Any future plans? Sonia: Steve Jobs docet: I want to stay hungry, stay foolish...And keep playing, writing, living the Beauty I see all around myself with all my heart. GM: A new album and more live acts.
Tobbe - The floor is open, is there anything you would like to add? Sonia: Another brick on the floor... (!?!)
Tobbe - Thanks for the interview...I wish you all the luck! Sonia: thanks to you!!! See you soon mate! GM: You are officially invited to the sunny Italy for...food! What are you thinking about...?!
There seems to be no end to all things metal coming out of the Scandinavian Peninsula. Norway has a track record unmatched in the rest of the world when it comes to exploring the sick mind of man through all the different styles of metal.
On their second release, the guys in Planet Mastergod take a deep dive into human aggression of various kinds. What instantly catches my attention on ''Delightful Contempt'' is the guitar work. The riffing is superb, varied and perfectly downtuned. Actually, when it comes to the guitars, this album scores a jackpot. The songs are powerfully built around the riffage, with a (stoner) metal edge, sometimes post-metal sound.
What brings my overall opinion down a bit is the vocal harmonies. Don't get me wrong, this guy can really sing. But I'm having problems fusing the awesome aggressivity of the music with the superclean vocals. Some of you will surely think the vocals make a nice contrast to the ferocious riffing, but i'd love a voice that follows the aggression of the music. But hey, that's just my opinion! All-in-all, this album kicks major ass and I urge you to listen.
Let me start this review by saying WOW!!! From the first time I heard a brief sample from this new band from Chile, on their Myspace page, I couldn't believe my ears. I was blown away by this two-piece. Yes you read it right, TWO-PIECE!! One guitar and one drummer! And both of them sharing the vocal duties, some sung in Spanish and some in English, all of it very harmonious and just plain awesome.
With guitars tuned down to bowel-shaking depths, and enough fuzz to choke a grizzly, At Devil Dirt create a huge wall of sound that can best be described as Kyuss hits the Floor carrying a Torche. There is not one piece of filler on this album, with most of the tracks clocking in at less than three minutes in length, it appeals to most peoples' attention span these days, and leaves the listener craving more.
I make it my mission here to scout out the coolest music around the world, and I'll be damned if this isn't chock-full of some of the best things I like, all wrapped up in a pretty little bow. The buzz around camp is this is the album of year, and I'm not one to argue. Check it out for yourself and let your conscience be your guide.
For the second time the Swedish Thalamus hits the surface, this time with a five tracker titled 'Sign Here for Nothing'. In 2006 Thalamus made a demo, and in 2007 the band released their highly recommended debut album 'Beneath the dying sun' which is hard to beat. Unfortunately that's what Thalamus doesn't manage to do on the new ep. But 'Sign here...' is still not bad in any way and delivers a good portion of nicely carved stoner/hard rock nuggets enough to satisfy the starving masses.
Thalamus starts off with 'Hope You Understand' which offers a quite thrilling 70's experience through time and space. Yes, I understand what this is all about and Thalamus is still making me happy with their Hammond flavoured Stoner Rock. Imagine that Blue Oyster Cult or some other 70's relic mated with Dozer or Kyuss and you're pretty close to how it sounds. The second track 'Breathe Easy' really makes me breathe easy without any difficulty, I smell greatness and self-confidence. Once again they offer you ear candy of high qualities, and not to forget the vocals which is superb!
All tracks are neatly assembled without the slightest sign of slips and even if not 'Sign Here...'is as strong as its predecessor Thalamus still shows clear signs of gigantism. Track no. three 'Black Day Sunday' runs you down like a raging bull on meth, it is fortunate that I'm writing this on a Saturday and not on a Sunday. Otherwise I would have been writing in the dark at this point. Anyway, Black Day Sunday is a loose cannon that churning out high-explosive riffs á la the seventies meets present time. This is one of the highlights for sure and it is also a proof that this ep is worthy the attention.
